Les Extatiques 2021
Paris La Défense and the Département of Hauts-de-Seine invite you to the fourth edition of Les Extatiques, placed under the theme of ecstasy. This year, the contemporary art exhibition is back from 24 June to 3 October. This new artistic journey, deployed on the Esplanade de La Défense and in the gardens of La Seine Musicale in Boulogne-Billancourt, is an invitation to discover new works in a unique architectural setting.
The summer event comes against the backdrop of a health crisis that has paralysed the cultural sector for over a year. Paris La Défense and the Département des Hauts-de-Seine are therefore pleased, through this fourth edition of Les Extatiques, to provide their support to the cultural world.
For three years now, the exhibition Les Extatiques has become the unmissable event of the year for many artists, art lovers, employees, tourists, students and residents. The project is part of the "renaissance" of the Paris La Défense district through the greening and creation of new parks, and the "biodiversity island" of La Seine Musicale. The artistic installations will express this "flowering", this blossoming of the sites.
Renaissance and return to the roots
This highly anticipated 2021 edition is both a renaissance and a return to basics. "We have returned to the very essence of the word ecstatic, its origins: ecstasy. It is not about ecstasy as a "mystical" notion or as a "second state of trance" but rather as a way of looking at oneself and the world differently.
At a time when we are faced with the urgency of acting on global issues, what time do we allow for moments of ecstasy?
How can the public find a state of ecstasy, an emotion or a moment of questioning in front of a work?
This exhibition shows the intensity and atmosphere of ecstatic experiences. How to consciously cross physical, emotional and mental boundaries."
Fabrice Bousteau, Curator and Artistic Director of the exhibition