WSF05-Little Memories and Few Photos

Little Memory 1

Well well, one thing for sure I failed my project "Babels Thousand Faces". No time to take pictures. Nevertheless I’d like to share some with you... only faces taking here and there. Not much! Faces and actually a pair of feet since that person did not agree to have his eyes and mouth recorded. The Babelito with no face. Anonymous... but quite a definition of Babels during this WSF with its 6 kilometers long venue. The first definition I encountered in Porto Alegre. Not the last, you’ll see.

Little Memory 2

It was hard to work during this Forum. I mean not hard to find work but hard to find proper work conditions. We were like a Radeau de la Méduse with no boat or actualy boâte, since the boxes which were supposed to be the booth equipments were not here. No equipment, translation! People reinvent so many things... and actually interpreters in the room with the audience, is quite an experience for all. But the main memory I have is linked with these WSF events with no speakers. They forgot to come or even were not aware that the conference was o take place. They got lost in the 200 rooms. Lost for the audience coming from all over to participate to the conference. And then appear... the interpreters. They try to reach the table in front. They grab the microphone. And in as many languages as they are they start the debate with the people here. They do not make speeches, no. They simply propose to the people to discuss together the theme of the conference. And it worked. The conference take place. People lined up. Interventions and presentations are made. Discussions started. And interpreters interpreted. For me maybe the best definition of Babels ever made. Not a long speech, not many words, just the rough practice of debating. The pictures here are not about this event, but about interpreters in conference rooms.

Little Memory 3

The Gazometro was something! Room to spleep. Room to work. A corridor to smoke and paste messages, to speak and make meetings, to write little notes quickly submerged by hundreds of others.

Little Memory 4

Maybe I am a sexual pervert... or I mean I am obsessed with objects. Not many. But as far as Babels, our banners is one of them. Here it steched over 3 floors of the Gazometro on top of the central staircase. Probably tens of thousands of people have seen it. Well this banner has a little history. First it weights at least 2 kilos. And in a suitcase, believe me, there is as little room left as for 3 t-shirts and few underwears. But besides this little problem, it appears in our life for the Larzac mobilization in 2002. In the middle of 100 000 people gathering around the Confederation paysanne in the middle of nowhere... the banner was launched. Of course then it traveled back to Paris for the ESF, then to Mumbai for the WSF04 were it was hanged in the main alley between two trees. It preceeds us in the opening and closing marches of these events. This close my little memories and wrap them into 8 meters of hard painted coton. Bye!