‘I hope to add an Indian quality to my personality’: Olivier Ortiz

From the perspective of someone in France, India is a dream destination. The name 'Madras' is very well known, and, of course, Chennai is quite close to Puducherry, where a French presence remains very much alive. Every city and country is different. People often say you become a different person with every language you speak. I cannot help but absorb a little of each country I have visited. I hope to soon add an 'Indian' quality to my own personality.

With pride and confidence in the future. We must rise to challenges and support all generations as they navigate change. Innovations are transforming teaching methods, but I see this as a natural evolution. I aim to strengthen Alliance Française de Madras by enriching the French experience we offer and making our courses, as well as our premises, more engaging, modern and unique.

The goal is to maintain a high standard of excellence while discovering emerging artists and fostering a dialogue between our two dynamic cultures. India has an undeniable appeal. The French Embassy, with which I work in close collaboration, regularly puts forward new proposals and ideas to strengthen our cooperation. Furthermore, Alliance Française de Madras (AFM) enjoys a solid reputation and has high-quality facilities and a dynamic team, which also enable us to develop our own programmes.

We focus on creating experiences and building bridges between formal lessons and cultural events. Artificial intelligence is a valuable asset today, and many tools can be integrated into courses to improve learning. In some classes, we use conversational agents (chatbots) to encourage more fluid interactions. We also plan to incorporate virtual reality in the near future, an approach that is sure to spark interest. Furthermore, we aim to expand our courses for children. Learning French is a major asset for them, given the global reach of the language.

I believe we will pursue both approaches: continuing to collaborate with prominent institutions while also engaging with emerging artists. For now, I want to get a sense of local customs and practices. I have been in this city for only two days. Furthermore, thanks to my predecessor and the entire AFM team, a cultural programme is already in place for the coming months. Maintaining that standard will be a significant challenge. I have already begun meeting partners and artists, and I am certain that I will make many wonderful discoveries.

Franco-Indian friendship is a reality. The Alliance has existed for more than 73 years, and the French Embassy carries out an extensive cooperation programme across various sectors. The year 2026 is dedicated to Franco-Indian innovation. Furthermore, there is a network of Alliances throughout the country that aims to bring our two cultures and nations closer through encounters, the arts and, of course, education. I intend to dedicate myself to this mission, ensuring a balance between excellence and accessibility. Come regularly and see!

I have seen very little so far. However, I know that all my colleagues would love to visit Chennai because of its cultural vibrancy. I am keen to discover spaces dedicated to contemporary art. I missed the most recent 'Contemporary Now' event, but I hope to attend the next one. I would also be delighted to explore more traditional sites, such as the DakshinaChitra museum.
At our last event, 'La Nuit Blanche', we hosted many artists rooted in traditional Tamil folk culture. We also collaborate with other international cultural centres, such as the Goethe-Institut. I have been told that jazz has an important place here, which is why we have scheduled several jazz concerts for the coming months. Just as I wish to discover as many cultural venues as possible here, I hope the public will learn about us and visit Alliance Française. I would be happy to offer our gallery or exhibition space as a platform to showcase the enduring creativity that thrives in Chennai and Tamil Nadu.