Paradiski celebrates its 20th anniversary
20 years ago, in 2003, the construction of the Vanoise Express sealed the union of the three resorts of Peisey-Vallandry, Les Arcs and La Plagne. With this remarkably large double-decker cable car, the Paradiski area came to life, and since then it has offered snow sports enthusiasts an exceptional playground, making it the third largest ski area in the world, with 425 kilometres of pistes - 70% of which are above 2000 metres in altitude.
Building a bridge across the valley and linking its two sides in an unexpected way, the Vanoise Express has since been the scene of numerous cultural and sporting exploits, each of which was a world first achieved 380 metres above the ground. Jean-Charles Castelbajac has provided two artistic decorations for the cabins, Michelin-starred chef Stéphane Froidevaux has served his 'sky dinner' there, tightrope walkers Julien Millot and the late Tancrède Melet have crossed it in a highline on a strap pulled between the cabins, and three riders - including multiple world champion Kenny Belaey - have performed spectacular tricks on a trial mountain bike.
It was a memorable experience for those privileged enough to witness it. But the aim was also - and above all - to bring people, generations, backgrounds and cultures together. It is with this same desire, still intact after 20 years, that Paradiski continues to bring people together by creating a space that is conducive to all kinds of encounters.
20 DECEMBER: €20 PACKAGES
In this spirit of sharing and so that we can all experience this important moment together, on Wednesday 20 December 2023, ski passes will exceptionally be available for €20!More information on the Paradiski website (link to website https://paradiski.com/)
FOR THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY: SAYPE, A LAND ARTIST WITH A POSITIVE IMPACT
With projects in New York, Paris, Venice, Geneva, Cape Town, Turin, Dubai, Nairobi, Istanbul, Ouagadougou, Miami, Tokyo... the Saype land artist now enjoys an international reputation. For these celebrations, he'll be showcasing his art with two huge frescoes, one on each side of the estate. Working with 100% eco-responsible paint on natural supports such as grass, earth, sand or snow, his works, ephemeral by nature, are nevertheless immortalised and then exhibited so that their impact can transcend distances and continue to be felt over time.The artist's mission is to raise public awareness of the precariousness of our world, to bring people together and raise their awareness of the environmental challenges we face. At the heart of his artistic project is the noble and ambitious aim of bringing people together and connecting them in an increasingly polarised society.
This collective dimension and the ecological impact of his art made Saype an obvious choice for Paradiski as it celebrated its 20th anniversary.
A TECHNICAL CHALLENGE THAT'S ARTISTICALLY RICH IN MEANING
For his part, Saype was also seduced by the challenge offered by Paradiski and its actors. On the one hand, the technical challenge of working with a special and elegant material, snow; on the other, the possibility of projecting his committed, dreamlike and altruistic art onto a territory that resembles his own, on the front line of climate change - the central theme of his approach and his work.In his own words, this project is "an opportunity to take on a creative and poetic challenge, in an immense, pure and immaculate natural environment. Snow is a complicated and challenging medium to work with. And above all, part of my work consists of connecting people, so the project proposed by Paradiski for its anniversary totally echoes my work".
His two anniversary frescoes will be available from 16 December at the Vanoise Express cable car stations at Peisey-Vallandry and Montchavin-les-Coches, with a making-of of their realisation to allow the performance to be fully appreciated.
TO FIND OUT MORE, visit the Saype website (insert link to Saype website). : https://www.saype-artiste.com/). Here you will find images from the Beyond the Walls series - one of the most notable. Based on the observation that the world was becoming increasingly polarised and "firmly convinced that it is together that humanity will be able to meet the various challenges it will have to overcome", he imagined this project aimed at creating the largest human chain in the world. From Paris, under the Eiffel Tower, and across the 5 continents... As if to thumb his nose at everything that opposes us and distances us.