An enigma show of  François Schuiten and Benoît Peeters

Paris - In 1980, François Schuiten and Benoit Peeters, two childhood friends, discover by accident, while deeply visiting the Justice Court of  Brussels, a passage to a parallel universe : the "Obscure Cities" universe.  As they want to share all with us, they have to reveal the existence of this wide continent.  20 years of friendship and 13 comics albums later, their efforts aren't vain.  But their work of investigation didn't reveal all the  mysteries as proved by the existence of "L'Affaire Desombres". 

(Photo by Jean-Pierre MAURIN)

"L'Affaire Desombres", a multimedia show

The new show of the authors of the successful comic series "The Obscure Cities" will be shown at the 'Auditorium du Forum des Images' in Paris from the 23rd March to 1st April 2000.An innocent choice of the place ? Not sure. With the new Auditorium environment, the Forum of pictures 'Le forum des Images'  try to develop a program of new living shows, intimately linked to the pictures and new technologies. This show - mixed with music, performing art, pictures and multimedia - is then totally synchronized with the modular environment of  the Auditorium.

Desombres, not anonymous anymore?

The meeting between F. Schuiten and B. Peeters with the composer and musicologist Bruno Letort will be the catalyst of a challenge to out theatrically on stage "L'Affaire Desombres".  The material gathered by the tree  accomplices (archives films , drawings, videos editing,  testimonies, musical scores, …) is rich enough to try to see through the mystery Desombres and to contribute to the rehabilitation of the artist.
"For more than ten years , we have studied this character", explain B. Peeters. "He is one of these little painting masters that the Big History of art forgot. For us , he is a smuggler, one of these artists that find a point of passage to other  realities". The word is said : Desombres, did he discover a passage to the Obscure Cities ?

Didn't told the painter in his notebook (discovered recently) that he has heart sounds through the wall of his workshop. Early Convinced of the existence of "the other world", he would traveled many times there before disappearing one day of November 1906. His body was never found…  From the work of Augustin Desombres, remain today only few traces, among which two youthful canvasses kept in a Parisian museum .

(Photo by Jean-Pierre MAURIN)

On the stage 

We can say that it is a real osmosis on the stage between the different forms chosen by F. Schuiten and B. Peeters : the music played live by a string quartet, An electric bass and wind instruments, archives broadcasting in 35 mm and video pictures, in presence of objects as amazing as unusual from the universe of Augustin Desombres, conference, picture, paintings, sculptures, theater, cinema … With the music of Bruno Letort as guide line. 

Finally, we can notice the presence on the stage of the young actress  Catherine Aymerie , instigator of a thesis, the only reference at the present time, dedicated to Desombres.

An interview with Benoît Peeters

The Light : Why is there a "case" Desombres and why is it an "enigma-show" ? All this seems to be mysterious. 

Benoît Peeters: There is a case Desombres, because the essential of the play concerning this painter was overshadowed.. We think that it wasn't by accident. The recent discoveries of Catherine Aymerie and Bruno Letort allow us to go further than what we did previously. 

The Light : Which importance of new technologies are in your show ? 

Benoît Peeters : The show is essentially multimedia. Because it combine words, music, projections. Because these projections are of different kinds. But it is not the essential : what matter, is that we will better approach the painter ... And therefore the Cities. 

The Light :  Are new technologies also applied to the music ? 
Benoît Peeters : Essentially, no, it is a classic music group : six musicians are present on stage. We will hear however some scheming recording. 

The Light :  In the press file, it is mentioned that Desombres isn't in the dictionary, why create then a show for him? Must he be rehabilitated ? 

Benoît Peeters : It is just because the common dictionaries doesn't write a word on Desombres that it is time for his rehabilitation. Don't forget that a painter like Jean-Léon Gérôme, who was is master, considered him as a first rate artist. And that  Maurice Maeterlinck himself admired deeply his painting.  We stand regarding this  in a process similar  to the one of  'Dossier B.' before the investigation of Wilbur Leguebe, who talked about these  phenomenon's that everybody knows. Who cared about Henri Vandebelle, James Welles and Paul van den Boeynants ? We hope that  "L'Affaire Desombres" will contribute also to the wakening of the sprits. 

 The Light : At the origin of this show, there are 2 collaborations ? 

• With Bruno Letort (music) 
• With Catherine Aymerie (performing) 

How did it happen ? 

Benoît Peeters : We can naturally not reveal everything.. What is clear, is that these two persons personally investigated on  Desombres, and knew from several of our albums the interest  that we had about this. We already had the occasion to discuss with Letort for the exposition of Villeneuve-sur-Lot "Rêves de pierre" ; then  for the disk "Mégapoles". As for Catherine Aymerie, we were astounded by the number and the quality of her discovering... 

Benoît Peeters : We don't intervene directly on the stage. But Catherine Aymerie wanted to interview us , and this  interview is presented. You will see that, unfortunately for us, she is far to be an fan of comics. 

The Light : Do you think that one day, we will know all about the Obscure Cities ? 

Benoît Peeters : Surely not. Neither that we will one day know all about our damned old planet earth. Every discovering carries a lot of questions. By chance that the number of researchers become greater and only on the net . We are amazed by the number of explored ways. By Jim Harrison and Sylvain St-Pierre. By Quentin Gausset, Alex Willem, Philippe Blampain, James Rooms. And of course by you for so long... 

The Light :  In the press file, it is mentioned that the Obscure Cities = shifted reflect of our world. What does this mean ? What is the interest if it is a reflect of our world ? 

Benoît Peeters : It is a rough  way of talking. What is sure, is that there are links between the two worlds : characters, buildings, objects, books went through one world to the other. These relations between the two universe remain however complex and mysterious . 

The Light :  What is your objective when performing this show ? 

• Make discover the Cities ? 
• Make discover Desombres ? 
• Make discover the new technologies look? 
• Other ? 

Benoît Peeters : First to make discover Desombres. And show, in the center of Paris, in this place where stood before the Hall of Baltard, all the presence of the Obscure world... 

The Light : Is there a DVD or a CDrom  foreseen for this project ? 

Benoît Peeters : We are thinking about it. Indeed, we should put the documents accessible for large number of people.

(Photo by Jean-Pierre MAURIN)

 L'Affaire Desombres At the Auditorium du Forum des Images, Nouveau forum des Halles, porte Saint-Eustache, 75001 Paris Tel: 0144 76 62 00 http://www.forum.vdp.fr/  From 23rd March to 1st April 2000, 20:30 hrs. Except Sunday  26th March at 16:00 hrs. No performance on Monday   

Association "Les Amis d'Augustin Desombres" 12, Boulevard Saint-Martin 75010 Paris