Kering celebrates women’s creativity in dance and choreography through its new project: Women In Motion at West Bund in partnership with Centre Pompidou × West Bund Museum Project

October 22 to October 24, 2021, Women In Motion at West Bund will consist of a three-day contemporary dance festival focused on female choreography. The highlights of the festival will be the world premiere of a dialogue and a choreographic transmission between renowned Chinese female choreographer Duan Ni and French female choreographer Mathilde Monnier. Duan Ni will also premiere, for Women In Motion, her first solo creation and direct an experimental workshop for semi-professionals and amateurs. Exceptional Chinese choreographer Shi Jingxin and her troupe will present a new dance work from her Body Museum Series No. 2. The artists will engage in public conversation with the audience after the showcases. 

 

 

Launched in 2015 at the Festival de Cannes with the aim of shining a light on women in cinema, Women In Motion has been a platform of choice for helping to change mindsets and reflect on women’s place and recognition across artistic fields. Since 2016, the program has been expanded to include the fields of photography, art, music and literature. This new initiative will further expand the influence of Women In Motion to choreography and dance.  

 

 

The "Centre Pompidou × West Bund Museum Project" was inaugurated in Shanghai in 2019 in the presence of Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic. To date, it is the most significant project for cultural exchange and cooperation between the two countries. Over a five-year period, through this collaboration, the Centre Pompidou and West Bund Museum will have a cultural programming whether in terms of museum exhibitions, seminars, performing art, educational activities or cultural outreach, with the aim of cultural and artistic exchanges between China and France. 

 

 

“Kering is proud to present Women In Motion at West Bund, bringing together Chinese and international choreographers, dancers and audiences to celebrate female choreography. I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to the West Bund Museum and to the Centre Pompidou. Together, we have developed an exciting avant garde project which I believe will be of great impotance in promoting women’s influence in the arts.” said François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO, Kering.

 

 

Chen Anda, the Executive Director of the West Bund Museum, remarked: “Since the opening in 2019, West Bund Museum has been promoting various culture and art genres together with industry professionals. We have launched performing art programs annually, including female dancing projects that receive accolades from and resonate with the audience. This three-day dance festival will allow the audience to immerse themselves in the charm of female choreographers’ creativity and their spirit. The festival also serves the purpose of bringing female artists together, to unlock the multiple presentation of performing arts in contemporary context. As part of Centre Pompidou×West Bund Museum Project, Women In Motion at West Bund acts as a bridge connecting different countries and cultures. This is yet  another attempt and achievement of the West Bund Museum in the art field.”

 

“Encompassed in the five-year partnership between the Centre Pompidou and West Bund Museum, Women In Motion at West Bund reflects the international significance of this cultural exchange between France and China. Dance is an integral part of the DNA of the Centre Pompidou. The museum is renowned as a creation center and performance is the living part of it that constantly observes the contemporary world. Additionally, we are committed to promoting equality and respect between the genders which is an area Kering has been on the forefront for many years.” Julie Narbey, Executive Director the Centre Pompidou remarked. 

 

 

“A new generation of female contemporary choreographers all over the world is flourishing and ready to create inspiring new work. China is no exception. We are therefore very excited and proud that the Women In Motion at West Bund project is initiated in China with two leading art institutions, and serves as a great model of international cultural exchange to promote female creativity in dance and to engage Chinese female choreographers in a global conversation. We have also launched a dedicated Women In Motion online community on WeChat (@跃动她影Kering) with the purpose of empowering women to achieve their career and life goals. The WeChat account publishes original or collaborative content to highlight the personal journey of female artists and the source of inspirations of their creative work. The WeChat account has become a catalyst for female artists to connect and work together since its inception,” explained Cai Jinqing, President, Greater China, Kering. 

 

 

 

About Women in Motion 

 

 

Kering’s commitment to women is at the heart of the Group’s priorities, and through Women In Motion extends to the field of art and culture, where gender inequalities are still flagrant even though creation is one of the most powerful vectors for change. In 2015, Kering launched Women In Motion at the Festival de Cannes with the aim of shining a light on women in cinema, both in front of and behind the camera. Since then, the program has been expanded to include the fields of photography, art, literature, and today dance and choreography. Through its awards, the program recognizes both inspirational figures and talented young women, while its Talks provide an opportunity for leading personalities to share their views on the representation of women in their profession. For the past seven years, Women In Motion has been a platform of choice for helping to change mindsets and reflect on women’s place and recognition across artistic fields.

 

 

About West Bund Museum 

 

The West Bund Museum is located in the riverside public open area of Xuhui District, which is rated as a "Paradigmatic Habitat Environment in China". It is a core venue of the " Museum Mile" in the West Bund. The museum has been designed by Sir David Chipperfield and his team. As an essential platform of public culture space in the area and even in the city, the West Bund Museum aims to create an open and cozy interdisciplinary cultural center, allowing the public to come in and to be a part of it. The audience will be able to experience diversified life of arts, and join hands with the West Bund Museum to create the cultural landscape of the city. 

 

 

About Centre Pompidou x West Bund Museum Project

 

Considered as the highest level cultural cooperation project between China and France, the Centre Pompidou x West Bund Museum Project triggers new exploration of the cultural exchange between China and foreign cultures. Not only bringing culture from all around the globe to Chinese audiences as well, one of its key missions is also to mirror and promote Chinese culture in the world.

In this perspective, the Centre Pompidou and the West Bund Museum signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2017. The project was included in the Joint Declaration between the People's Republic of China and the French Republic in 2018 and in 2019, it opened to the public at the special moment of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 55th anniversary of the establishment of Sino-French diplomatic relations. 
Over a five-year period, through the collaboration, the Centre Pompidou and West Bund Museum will have cultural programming whether in terms of museum exhibitions, seminars, performing art, educational activities or cultural outreach, with the aim of cultural and artistic exchanges between China and France. The semi-permanent exhibition and feature exhibitions will be presented to the public at the West Bund Museum in Shanghai; while at the same time several emblematic Chinese cultural and artistic projects with strong significance will be exhibited at the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

 

 

 

 

About Kering

 

 

A global Luxury group, Kering manages the development of a series of renowned Houses in Fashion, Leather Goods, Jewelry and Watches: Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Brioni, Boucheron, Pomellato, Dodo, Qeelin, Ulysse Nardin, Girard-Perregaux, as well as Kering Eyewear. By placing creativity at the heart of its strategy, Kering enables its Houses to set new limits in terms of their creative expression while crafting tomorrow's Luxury in a sustainable and responsible way. We capture these beliefs in our signature: “Empowering Imagination”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Press Contacts

 

Kering

        Charlotte Judet        +852 2839 6933          charlotte.judet@kering.com
 Michelle You            +852 2832 8401     michelle.you@kering.com 
             

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