It is time to be French again. FIAF's Crossing the Line Festival is in full swing (September 17, 2011 - October 16, 2011), and all that is weird and wonderful about being French is spilling over the city; the avant-garde is on a march.

Performance Artist Photo Credit: Wendy R. Williams	Performance Artist Photo Credit: Wendy R. Williams

On September 17th, the opening reception was held at the Cultural Services of the French Embassy. Art walked and danced throughout the building. There was a Japanese man in the lobby who ran around in a circle and talked to us. In the side library, an old phonograph played with a story about a valet. On the top floor, two performance artists dressed all in white moved quietly through the crowd. The entire building had a dreamlike atmosphere, created both by the performance artists and the lighting design by Roderick Murray. And throughout all of this maze of experiences, walked the guests, both the French and the French-for-the-day, each guest playing a supporting role in the performances simply by being there.

The opening ceremony was presented by the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF), New York’s premiere French cultural center, in partnership with the Cultural Services of the French Embassy. For information about the Festival and its many events, log onto Crossing The Line Festival.