An exhibition in the Charlie spirit of 23 press cartoonists on the theme of conflicts, migrations, withdrawal of identity… Opening planned on the square in front of the Hôtel de Région in Montpellier on January 7 before a traveling exhibition departing from the station from Montpellier Saint-Roch on January 8.
It was January 7, 2015. The Charlie Hebdo attacks would shake France, the Republic and freedom of expression. A shock across the world. 100,000 people were going to march in Montpellier a few days later. There will be millions of them across the country.
Ten years after this tragedy, which would be followed by a wave of other attacks (notably those at the Bataclan), the Occitanie Region, in partnership with the Press Club, decided to remember by organizing a major exhibition. A way of “reaffirm our attachment to freedom of expression, the founding value of our Republic, and bring to life the memory of those who died in its name”underlines Carole Delga, president of the Region.
Limits and boundaries
An exhibition, called “Border line”. An Anglicism (border means border) which underlines that it “will cross borders and because it is about playing with limits, as we say of someone who is “borderline”explains exhibition curator Vincent Girard. A double ambition to invite 23 press cartoonists (including eight from Occitanie) to transgress to commemorate.
This time, the exhibition plans to address themes from “limits and borders, but also conflicts, migrations, withdrawal of identity, walls which separate people or deprivations of freedom which are still legion in our world”underlines Vincent Girard.
Being borderline, “it remains sacred”
President of the Occitanie Press Club at the time of the attacks, Olivier Roirand remembers that the association has always been involved in press cartoons with multiple initiatives around press cartoons. Moreover, the Club continues to have on its pediment in the Antigone district the 12 portraits of the victims of Charlie Hebdo.
It’s also a way of saying: “We are still alive, they did not win”insists Christian Assaf, regional advisor in reference to Islamist terrorists. Which reminds us: “We didn’t want a traditional commemoration but a testimony to remind us that being borderline, in our society, remains sacred”.
Man, Aurel, Besse, Chapatte…
The exhibition at the regional hotel will offer around fifty drawings out of 700 received. Visitors will be able to wander around. The next day, the exhibition will cross borders aboard a train departing from the very ambitious Montpellier station with an opening planned on the square in front of the Hôtel de Région on January 7, 2025.
Among the press cartoonists, there are some that we know very well, like the cartoonist of Free MiddayMan or Aurel who works today for Le Canard Enchaîné or Le Monde… We can also count on Charlie’s designer Camille Besse, the Swiss Le Canard Patrick Chapatte, renowned international designers… And that’s without counting those who will be on the train the next day for the traveling exhibition, but shush, it’s a surprise.
