In Haute-Vienne, local elected officials and Internet users attached to their territory fell from their chairs… On the fifth anniversary of the Charlie Hebdo attacks, the Minister of Culture, Franck Riester, announced that he wanted the creation of 'a "house of press cartoons and satirical cartoons", a "place of meeting, training, exhibition" intended to promote them "while threats hang over them in the world".
A beautiful project, oh so praiseworthy ... but which has already existed for many years about twenty kilometers from Limoges, in Haute-Vienne. "Can you inform Franck Riester of the existence of Saint-Just-le-Martel? "Launched the tweet Myrtille, to his government colleague Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, current Secretary of State for Transport but former deputy for Haute-Vienne.
Good evening @Djebbari_JB,
Can you inform @franckriester of the existence of Saint Just le Martel? Thank you. @ M_Boulestin, we are counting on you to keep an eye on this file. Thank you.
It is in this town of 2,600 inhabitants, that 38 years ago, a group of friends decided to create an annual press drawing fair which took the form in 2011, of a permanent center, called Espace Loup , named after the designer Jean-Jacques Loup.
Over the years, Saint-Just has become the center of the world for all lovers of satirical drawing. Cabu, Wolinski, Tignous…, Charlie Hebdo alumni were themselves regulars at the fair which is held every year at the end of September. Coco, Charlie's designer, returned there after the attacks in 2015 to receive the traditional “Cow Humor Award”.
Wolinski's office on display
In a 2,000 square meter building, 10,000 pieces, including 5,000 original drawings, are kept. The iconic Wolinski office, donated by his widow Maryse in April 2015, is on display, proof of the designers' attachment to Saint-Just-le-Martel.
But it may well be adorned with the title "international", this "Exhibition of caricature, press cartoons and humor", unique in France or even in Europe is, it seems, not known on the street de Valois, the seat of the Ministry of Culture. Worse, neighboring Bordeaux, the new regional capital, pretended to ignore its existence by standing as a candidate, through its mayor, Nicolas Florian, to welcome the new structure wanted by the minister. Reactions have since rained on the networks. And politicians, like the local press, are committed to defending their living room.
"No need to talk about territories to misunderstand them to this point", "Once again, Limousin is surprised and complains: in Paris the Prince does not see it" ... Internet users go there with heart joy, some astonished at the "ignorance" of the Minister of Culture. "We obviously took this announcement very badly," admit the co-chairs of the show, Philippe Henry and Guy Hennequin. “It has been 38 years, 200 international designers are received each year over 10 days, at the end of September. Saint-Just-le-Martel is an event that does not exist anywhere else. "
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The minister's announcement did not make them laugh… if not yellow. "But at Saint-Just, humor will always prevail", they qualify. "Let the Minister come and see us, we will welcome him to show him around. "
