Representing the First World War in paintings in France and Australia

 Representing the First World War in paintings in France and Australia

Two different visions of the same conflict.

This conference puts French and Australian paintings of the First World War together and invites the audience to reflect on why the same conflict is painted in radically different ways. The modernity of the conflict was ignored in official Australian art for political and commemorative purposes when, at the very same time, French painters went beyond traditional ways of painting to represent the intensity of the conflict and the devastation it created, a spectacle of an unprecedented scale. Cubism, futurism or expressionism found much inspiration in the First World War but they were deemed unfit to represent the Anzacs for reasons which will be uncovered.

The presentation will be followed by a Q&A.

- $25 for AF members :    ORDER ONLINE
- $30 for non members:   ORDER ONLINE

FRENCH HISTORY FRIDAYS

Want to learn about French History in a fun & friendly environment while sipping a glass of fine French wine? Then join our French History Fridays !

After the succesful Premiere a few weeks ago, the Alliance Française de Brisbane has launched a series of 3 friendly conferences led by Romain Fathi. These informal talks (given in English) will be 45 minutes long and will introduce perspectives on France in the World Wars. Whether you already have some knowledge in French History or whether you just have an interest in the area, these classes are sure to teach you something new!

This cycle of conferences endeavours to delve into French history through a cultural approach, looking at arts, mentalities and representations of these conflicts and the way France experienced them. With the Centenary of the First World War, Australians have been provided with a maze of cultural productions and commemorations with regard to their Anzacs. Yet, little has been said about others’ experiences of war and how different they were. These conferences will give you an insight on the French experiences of the First and Second World Wars and how they impacted French society while making comparisons, at times, with Australian representations of these same wars. Going back and forth between the two countries’ histories, differences will appear in unexpected ways. Each presentation will be followed by a Q&A.
 

PRICE/SESSION (with one glass of French wine!): 

- $25 for AF members :    ORDER ONLINE
- $30 for non members:   ORDER ONLINE

Who is Romain Fathi ?

Enrolled in a jointly awarded Ph.D. program between The University of Queensland (Brisbane, Australia) and Sciences Po (Paris, France), Romain Fathi’s longstanding research interests are concerned with Australian national identity, the Great War and war commemorations. He studied and taught in several universities including Sciences Po, Yale and The University of Queensland. Among other publications dealing with Australian war memorialisation, he has recently published a book in French entitled Représentations du corps combattant de 14-18. L'Australian War Memorial de Canberra au prisme de l'Historial de la Grande Guerre de Péronne. Read more about Romain's work.

FUTURE TALKS

Friday 23rd October - 6.30 pm Why are French and Australian commemorations of the centenary of the First World War so different? Since 2014, Australians have been witnessing an unprecedented commemoration of Anzac and the First World War. Australia is spending significantly more money than France in the commemoration of this conflict and this conference aims to explain why and to which ends. While the first conference of this cycle Perspectives on France in the World Wars explained how different French and Australian experiences of the First World War were, this second conference considers the impacts of these differences in the way we, today, in France and Australia, remember and commemorate that conflict. While the Anzacs have become the cornerstone of Australian national identity mostly under the influence of politicians, France’s commemorations of the First World War are totally different from what you could expect. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A TICKETS AVAILABLE SOON

Friday 4th December - 6.30 pm Understanding France in the Second World War France’s experience of the Second World War is an aspect of French history generally poorly known or misunderstood in Australian popular culture. This conference aims to pause and reflect on the origins and consequences of the French defeat. The pacifism of the 1920s, the rise of anti-Semitism, the debacle, Vichy, the occupation and the liberation will be presented through a survey of contemporary French mentalities. Providing context to understand this traumatic period in France’s history, the conference will be followed by a Q&A. TICKETS AVAILABLE SOON