When The Fox met The Rooster

Running time: 22:35
First shown Thursday 16th November 2017
British Embassy Residence, 16 Boulevard F. D. Roosevelt, Luxembourg

"Through montaging a moving picture account of When the Fox Met the Rooster, my intention was to provide an insight and narrative into the project’s evolution, and deployment. During its run time, the viewer’s journey begins with the raw, vintage paper material which underlay each finished artwork - the artist is seen flicking through pages, then overpainting L’AUTO - the very newspaper which Tour de France godfather Henri Desgrange wished to promote through this new cycle race. As the opening sequence builds over erstwhile audio of Tour de France race commentary, I wanted the viewer to get a sense of adventure, and spectacle. I really value film as an artistic medium. And feel the process of collage can equally apply to sound and vision. In this way, my movie allows access to my working method - both on canvas and on the street. It exposes the uniqueness of the project - it being a rare fusion of time and place. And, I hope, bring light to the intense, and intimate relationship that an artist experiences when creating a special body of work."

IN December 2016, HM Ambassador to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, John Marshall commissioned the British artist James Straffon to explore the concept of an art exhibition, expanding on Straffon’s previous collections devoted to the Tour de France and its vibrant history. This new series was presented in 2017 - with an exhibition of large-scale original canvases, and a display of over 40 street artworks located across Luxembourg’s capital and communes, many following the race route. By adapting a 19th century fable by Michel Rodange - Renert [Renert oder de Fuuß am Frack an a Ma’nsgrëßt] - Straffon created a new narrative for this extraordinary race - telling the story of the Tour through the eyes of an intrepid fox. He chose to re-engage Renert in a curious and enlightening act of wanderlust - unearthing the bizarre and remarkable stories wrapped up in the folklore and mythology of the Tour de France, retold through the fox’s chance meetings with its many colourful contenders.

The When The Fox met The Rooster project, with its various associated components,
is indebted to the following sponsorship and support:

LINKLATERS - MR. GREN CARR JONES - MR. PETER GOES

HM Ambassador John Marshall and the staff at the British Embassy

Ms Claire Jordan

Ville de Luxembourg

Luxembourg Ministry of the Economy

Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Luxembourg Ministry of Sport

Luxembourg Ministry of Tourism

GreatArt, Alton, Hampshire, UK

Barry Hoban

Basic & Bespoke, Luxembourg

Honey / Mustard, Luxembourg

Bar Rocas, Luxembourg

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When The Fox met The Rooster - The Movie