We continue our series of interviews with members of the UNeECC Board to learn more about their everyday life and work, and their contributions to the UNeECC. We interviewed Professor Françoise Arfelli, member of UNeECC Board. Learn more about her interests, daily routine, hobbies and favourite menu, and what ECoC means to her.
1. Name: Françoise Arfelli
2. Informal name: Fran
3. Family: spread around Italy, Tunisia & Brazil
4. University: Avignon University
5. Country: France
6. Role in university: Director of the International House, director of the languages service & French as a Foreign Language
7. Academic background/subject: Aesthetics/XVIIIth century, Canaletto, but also sustainable tourism.
8. Research: No time for this, but will write a paper for UNeECC for sure!
9. Key personal publication : Sublime & picturesque in Canaletto’s English works
10. Hobbies: sailing, travels, reading, art exhibitions, theatre, socializing
11. Typical day: walk to my office, have a coffee, then step into the whirlpool: manage the language service team and the international relations team, attend meetings, work on various projects, prepare my next business trip, prepare calls for funding, launch international agreements, receive foreign delegations, have lunch with colleagues, have a stroll after work and meet friends for a drink
12. Last holiday before COVID : Vietnam & Cambodia – 1st trip after COVID : sailing to Antigua & Barbuda , and lots of business trips abroad (Thailand, Japan, Lithuania, Greece, Spain, Italy)
13. Best holiday: anywhere sailing the Caribbean or the Mediterranean
14. Favourite author and book (fiction): L’écume de Jours – Boris Vian
15. Favourite author and book (non-fiction) The People’s War – Angus Calder
16. Favourite composer: Bach + Handel
17. Favourite pop group/singer: Pixies - Franck Black
18. Favourite song: Personal Jesus – Johnny Cash
19. Favourite artist: Canaletto
20. Favourite art work: Anish Kapoor : “Yellow”
21. Sport: Sailing
22. Perfect day: Sailing
23. Three people to invite to dinner: Oscar Wilde, Woody Allen & Andy Warhol
24. Favourite menu (starter, main course, sweet) Caesar salad, maki, vanilla sundae
25. What does ECoC mean to You? Something fantastic, bringing culture at everyone’s door, major events, exhibitions, something you wouldn’t be able to attend otherwise.
26. Memory of your year when your city was ECoC: Amazing exhibitions, installations around the whole city, a spirit of celebration even if Avignon is already a city of culture and heritage, cramming with international visitors especially in July for the International Theatre Festival.
27. Best event of year: art exhibition in the Pope’s Palace, various amazing installations as monumental as the emblematic place hosting them!
28. Value of being a member of UNeECC: Communicate and cross ideas around common issues, feeling like a family, the warrants of culture between our institutions
29. How would you describe yourself? A citizen of the world loving culture and interculturality, though really in love with the city of Avignon and the Provence area. Always trying to broaden my views and promote my university. My own belief: only culture can save the world!