10 October 2017 Come and see the preview of an exhibition inspired by Serge Bloch’s Bible
He took the risk to draw God as a funny little man and no divine punishment followed. He is Serge Bloch – one of the major contemporary graphic artists, who co-authored a comic-book version of the Bible with Frédéric Boyer.
We invite you for a preview of A long, long time ago… exhibition inspired by Serge Bloch’s Bible.27 October at 19.00, Wyspiański Pavilion
Come and join!
The Wyspiański Pavilion will transform into the Tower of Babel for two weeks, with suggestive comic graphic art at an interactive exhibition entitled A long, long time ago… Serge Bloch will take us into the world of the Bible – an epic created 3000 years ago. A space divided into nine audiovisual installations will house a 3D creation of the world, a fifty-metre long mural and the re-created and re-interpreted Tower of Babel. The most captivating stories of the Old Testament are presented using Bloch’s modern black-and-white drawings, excerpts from Frédéric Boyer’s text, and animations made of both text and graphics. The fresh interpretation of the artistsshows the immortal biblical stories talking about freedom and responsibility, love and justice, war and power, expulsion and migrations.Serge Bloch’s drawings won him acclaim not only in France. He is a regular contributor to the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal. The youngest may remember a series about SamSam, the smallest superhero, but Bloch’s illustrations were also featured in children’s books, such as Les sentiments, c'est quoi? by Oscar Brenifier, Violence, NON! and Maltraitance, NON! by Dominique de Saint Mars as well as The Big Adventure of a Little Line.
The comic Bible by Frédéric Boyer (text) and Serge Bloch (illustrations) is an opposite of mawkish Old Testament editions for children. It is bold and terse art. Bold because no other Bible has ever been presented in such a modern and accessible form. Terse because instead of text, it is based on drawings that are expressive and “ugly” in their own way. As Bloch put it, drawing is a natural language of a child – a young person’s way to communicate most freely, which also makes it the easiest way to reach that person.
There will be three occasions for the readers to meet Serge Bloch at the Conrad Festival. He will be one of the most important guest during children’s events, though a meeting with adult readers is also on the agenda.
The youngest participants are invited for an art workshop. Serge Bloch will advise how to move you, make you laugh, to tell a story or even to frighten you by using just a few lines. Children will check if every story can be told in such a way and if there are things that cannot be drawn. The workshop will be followed by a preview of an exhibition that will transform the Wyspiański Pavilion into the Tower of Babel! Since the Bible by Boyer and Bloch is an extraordinary book, we can already assure you that the familiar halls will change beyond recognition when Old Testament stories will come to life on Wyspiański Pavilion’s walls. We invite you to both events on Friday 27 October. Registration at fldd.pl/2017 is required. The exhibition will be open till 12 November.
Adult readers are invited for a meeting with Serge Bloch hosted by the translator of the comic-book Bible, Tomasz Swoboda, on Saturday 28 October. The discussion will address Bloch’s latest work as well as earlier literary and graphic projects.
Serge Bloch (born 1956) – a French graphic artist, illustrator and author of picture books. For years he has contributed to the Washington Post, the New York Times and the Boston Globe. Artistic Director of Bayard Jeunesse publishing house. Together with Frédéric Boyer he created the Bible in pictures. Events for children at the Conrad Festival are organised in cooperation with the Children's Literature Festival. Participation in all events is free of charge but subject to prior booking at fldd.pl/2017. The number of participants is limited.
