Avignon Festival Travelogue – The Moment When Art Swallows the City

Avignon, a small city in southern France. It is usually a quiet medieval city, but every July, it changes completely. This is because the Festival d’Avignon, one of the world’s three largest theater festivals, is held there. The air felt different from the moment I entered the city. Posters were densely stuck on trees, walls, and even telephone poles all over the streets, and actors were improvising in the squares and alleys to attract the audience. The atmosphere was such that the shops, cafes, and streets were all part of the performance. Avignon was truly a place where “the entire city was a stage.” During the festival, hundreds of performances are held every day, so there is the joy of choice. From classical plays to experimental performances, dance, and musicals, the genres are diverse, so even those who are not very interested in art can enjoy it without feeling burdened. Above all, the absence of a wall between the actors and the audience was impressive. The Avignon Festival is not about watching a performance, but rather an experience of jumping directly into the flow of art. In it, I was both an audience and a participant, and I lived through the most intense summer in an unfamiliar city. Someday, I want to go back into that heat. To that fleeting moment when art swallows the city and shakes people's hearts. #HawaiiFlightEvent