Michał Bieniek’s reflection on his trip to Marseille – on attending the CartoonNext animation congress, meeting with European broadcasters and partners of the Tech Tales project, as well as visiting the Fondation Maeght and sites connected to Picasso.
Participating in the CartoonNext congress in Marseille gave us a fresh and new perspective on the Tech Tales project. The meetings with representatives of European broadcasters – from the BBC to the Slovenian public broadcaster – made me realize how challenging, yet essential, it is to strike a balance between mission-driven content and visual and narrative appeal. The project we are co-creating focuses on inclusivity and telling stories that counteract stigmatization – which can be a challenge for commercial platforms. From the perspective of the Art Transparent Foundation, this trip deepened our understanding that if we want to make a real impact on social discourse, we must also think about communication strategies and tools to reach a wide audience.
In Marseille, I had the opportunity to talk with Sara Bozanic – the leader of Slovenia’s Aksioma and a co-creator of Tech Tales. Her presentation was highly inspiring and well received by the international group of experts. Conversations with project partners were key – together we reflected on how to realize our vision without compromising ethical or artistic principles. Among the valuable connections made, I should also mention a representative from ARTE.tv, who provided some very insightful comments on the format and narrative approach.
After the official part of the trip, I stayed a few days longer to visit important art sites in the region – Fondation Maeght in Saint-Paul de Vence, the Matisse Chapel in Vence, and Vallauris, known for its ties to Picasso. I treated this as a natural extension of the business trip – part of my personal practice, but also a sustainable development strategy: if I’m already flying somewhere, I aim to make the most of being in that place – economically, environmentally, and spiritually.
The strongest impression? Without a doubt, the Fondation Maeght – an exhibition space with extraordinary architecture, allowing for an unparalleled dialogue with works of art. This experience reinforced my belief in the importance of the quality of the space in which art is presented – and how much such models should and can be adapted in Poland.
The trip to Marseille showed that cultural diplomacy works best when it is not just a formality, but rooted in genuine engagement. I believe that the presence of Tech Tales at CartoonNext and our continued work on its international distribution will not only strengthen the foundation’s position on the European cultural map, but also meaningfully influence the ways in which diversity and mechanisms of exclusion are addressed in the public sphere.
