Editorial 52

Decentralization is for Cassandre the answer to an essential need. It is a search for truffles, for gold, to find the best of what is elaborated far from the spotlights, from the acknowledgement of the press. What is at the state of the art elaborated in rural areas and therefore, by nature, decentralized ? This kind of art has always been of interest to us since it escapes the phenomena of fashion that affects large urbanistic centers. Art in rural areas is multisided. It is the expression of a community or it is a result of an artist’s exile from urban areas, in need for a new physical and mental space in which to develop. Jean Bojko, Denis Tricot, Danièle Jacqui, Le taller...could the countryside be the soil for « real diversity » ?

For us, these artistic forms, often neglected and misunderstood are an essential part of the collective heritage of expression. Far from "the manufacturing of tastes that occur in large cities (national medias, fashion elaborated in Paris or other French and international cities), art elaborated in rural areas appears as a necessity and is an essential link and means of expression for a given community.

The paradox that arises from the idea of decentralization is linked to the notion of cultural democracies. From the term « popular » the risk is to drift towards populism. What is happening far from the « center » can benefit from « authenticity ». We would be beside our mission and ourselves if we did not see interest in it. We shouldn’t forget : the strength of the theatrical decentralization lead by Jeanne Laurent with Jean Dasté, Hubert Gignoux, Michel Saint-Denis and those who worked with them resided in a desire of decentralization that was... Parisian.

This is what brought to the first publication of « CAHIER REFLEX (E) » We know and have been saying it long enough, cultural decentralization, with all that is at stake, was the origin of our combat. Today, in France, cultural decentralization is at a point were the best intentions end-up producing harmful effects.

It is important for us to initiate a real national debate on this fundamental question. That is why the group REFLEX (E), composed of different people involved in cultural fields and in different artistic spheres have published a number of thoughts and observations (independent and not always in agreement) to initiate the debate.