Clichycago is a new initiative that aims to weave a strong link between urban peripheries from the South Side of Chicago and the Parisian suburb of Clichy-Montfermeil. Born of a desire to bring these two spaces together and to support the encounter between the people who shape them, Clichycago is a platform for exchange and experimentation. It constitutes a unique space-time, a third place where the voices and ideas of those who live, work and think in working-class neighborhoods and on the outskirts of the city mingle.
This collaborative project is co-produced by the Ateliers Médicis and the cultural services of the French Embassy in Chicago. Centered on the theme of " Communities chosen, communities endured", it aims to foster dialogue between artists, researchers, journalists, groups or organizations on multiple issues, from social justice to artistic innovation. Clichycago also supports creation for artists based in France and in the United States; their works will be displayed on the Internet and during events at partner venues.
From 2021, Clichycago takes the form of : Cross residencies involving two artists: Bintou Dembélé, dancer and choreographer, and Faheem Majeed, visual artist (in collaboration with the Hyde Park Art Center);
works commissioned from several Chicago artists for the online creation space The Other-Expo: Alexandria Eregbu, Max Guy, Zakkiyyah Najeebah Dumas-O'neal, Tonika Johnson, Fo Wilson (& Dorothée Munyanesa)...
portraits of residents involved in the life of Clichycago, made by Invisible Institute (Jamie Kalven) and La Chaise Pliante (Nawufal Mohamed and Lucas Roxo).
Clichycago also means informal exchanges, times for meetings and events made for the public, such the first meeting on June 26th.
To inaugurate this sharing of energies and ideas, and to initiate a fruitful and multifaceted dialogue, an original program of seven consecutive hours, equal to the time difference between Chicago and Clichy-sous-Bois/Montfermeil, will be broadcast online on June 26, on the website of the Ateliers Médicis as well as at the Hyde Park Art Center and the Ateliers Médicis, in Clichy-Montfermeil.
For seven hours, testimonies and initiatives from artists, various actors and cultural organizations from both sides of the Atlantic will come together. The eclectic programme is intended to reflect the diverse social and artistic dynamics that make these territories live and vibrate.