Air France is celebrating seven decades of connection with Johannesburg. They’ve partnered with Alliance Française to launch a free exhibition, fittingly dubbed ‘Decades of Connection,’ in commemoration of the history of travel.
In partnership with Alliance Française and the Consulate General of France, Air France highlights and celebrates the importance of travel between the two nations.
Etienne Chapon, Consulate General of France, gained the crowd’s adoration when he discovered something that made him feel like a genius: The initials of both Air France and Alliance Française are AF. “It’s clearly destiny that these two pillars of French excellence should come together for this celebration,” he said at the launch event. Additionally – where the exhibition is concerned – Chapon decided that AF would stand for “Always Fashionable.”
Pioneered in 1933, the exhibition retraces the history of Air France. Photographs dating back to its early years are displayed on the walls and travel memorabilia are cocooned in glass boxes. Further to this, historical press releases and documentary snippets also adorn the spaces in between.
Here, audiences enter into a time capsule and can almost imagine what being a passenger of Air France was like way back when.
Most impressively, a massive map documenting flight routes takes up an entire wall of the exhibition. It explores how Air France came to make daily direct flights between Paris and Johannesburg possible.
A trip down memory lane turns history into reality. Crew uniforms strut down the makeshift runway and are displayed on mannequins throughout the exhibition. Everything was thought out: From the top of their heads and the scarves around their necks, to the colours of the buttons adorning their blouses, all the way down to the toes.
Additionally, photographs outlining the historical designs of their planes, seats and advertisements add a sense of tangible nostalgia as you make your way around the exhibition.
The historical and cultural link between the two countries of France and South Africa have stood the test of time.
Chapon says: “As we walk through the exhibition, we’ll be reminded that Air France has become more than just a brand. They represent the essence of what it means to be French: Elegance, innovation and a touch of audacity.”
The exhibition is open to the public until 29 November 2024, Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 17:00, and Saturdays until 12:00. Entrance is completely free!
Hosted by the Alliance Française Johannesburg Head Office, the exhibition promises to make you nostalgic about travel and inspire you to hop on a plane tomorrow.
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