Ensemble is a collaborative performance cycle developed by Cécile di Giovanni and Mathilde Fernandez as part of La Manutention – Performeurs en résidence, curated by Vittoria Matarrese at the Palais de Tokyo, Paris, between November and December 2019.

Conceived as a two-part performance, Ensemble explores themes of collective identity, survival, and sonic ritual through staged chorales, immersive environments, and speculative training zones. Each session took the form of a veillée — a ritualized gathering invoking group dynamics and social thresholds, in line with La Manutention’s commitment to live experimentation.

The first part, Ensemble- Enfants Perdus (November 28, 2019), focused on the figure of childhood as a volatile force. Choral arrangements, screams, games, and staged behavioral shifts unfolded within an immersive installation. Between harmony and chaos, childhood re-emerged as a space of collective mutation and unruly power.

With: Natàlia Assis, Victor Campillo, Samuel Cordat, Cécile di Giovanni, Mathilde Fernandez, Jerôme Grivel, Groupe Vengeance (Julie Meilleur, Joy Charpentier, Audrey Jésus, Sophia el Mokhtar, Kerya In), Claudia Maté, and the Beaugrenelle Choir.

The second part, Ensemble, survivre maintenant (December 19, 2019), addressed survival as a contemporary mode of existence. Within a fictional “safe zone,” the performers activated survival kits, pollution drills, and emergency gestures through voice and movement, twisting standardized procedures into improvised rituals.

With: Martin Campillo, Paris Cheerleaders, Nicolas Dau, Natália de Assis, Cécile di Giovanni, Mathilde Fernandez, Givaudan, Myrtille Hetzel, Jardin and Josep Maynou, Kerya In. With the support of: C2NRBC (La cellule nationale nucléaire radiologique biologique chimique), unité spécialisée de la Gendarmerie Nationale, Givaudan, Les Joyeux Recycleurs, Marine Serre.