Ukrainian Pavilion / Pavilion of the Future: Rebuilding and Resilience

Vision of the project

The "Pavilion of the Future: Rebuilding and Resilience" project, running from mid-June to mid-January 2025, began as part of the larger initiative "Pavillon du Futur Ukraine - 2024" at Festival Off Avignon. Its aim was to showcase Ukrainian projects internationally and facilitate future tours in France and globally throughout 2025 and 2026.

The project was led by La Manufacture in collaboration with the Ukrainian Institute, The Cultural Diplomacy Foundation, Institut Français, ONDA (French National Office for Arts Dissemination), Odesa Photo Days Fest, Petit Paradis Gallery (Avignon), Urban Coalition for Ukraine, and French architects and urban planners.

The project consisted of two stages:

First Stage: Held during the Festival Off Avignon, this stage included the presentation of the performance "Misto Marii: The Siege Diaries" by Vidlik Projects, an exhibition of contemporary photography curated by Kateryna Radchenko, and discussions on resilience as well as urbanistic and architectural issues linked to the full-scale war. These discussions involved local, national, and Ukrainian stakeholders.

Second Stage: This stage involved preparing and conducting a two-week residency in November for photographers, architects, and urbanists. The joint work from the residency was then showcased in December.

The project aimed to highlight resilience, foster cross-cultural collaboration, and address the rebuilding of Ukraine through creative and urbanistic perspectives.

Meet the Key Partner

Since 2001, La Manufacture has been the main venue for the Festival Off Avignon, showcasing contemporary art: performance, music, film, visual art and hybrid works. Every year in July, it welcomes 35,000 spectators, including 15,000 professionals representing about 2,500 producers from France (70%), the European Union and the world (30%). It presents 30 shows a day for 21 days, more than 600 events including art exhibitions and film screenings. It operates in three main venues, one in the city center, (with selling tickets), and two ones on the outskirts, including the Ice Rink, the largest stage of the Avignon Off festival (25 meters wide, 15 meters deep). Since 2022, La Manufacture has implemented the concept of a pavilion to introduce French and international producers to different aspects of creativity in regions or countries: performance art, visual art, film and drama. In 2022, we invited Ukraine, in 2023 Iran (with a focus on artists who oppose the current regime) and Norway.

Start Date: June 14, 2024
End Date: Jan. 17, 2025