An Interview with Pearl Lam and Judith Benhamou
In episode eleven of The Pearl Lam Podcast, gallerist Pearl Lam comes face to face with esteemed French journalist, Judith Benhamou. The pair delve into a lengthy discussion about the true meaning of French culture.
Pearl Lam (林明珠) and Judith Benhamou recently sat down in the heart of Paris to film the latest episode of The Pearl Lam Podcast. During this episode, Judith Benhamou and Pearl Lam discuss what French culture means to Parisians in 2024.
Judith Benhamou is a journalist, curator, art critic, traveller, and mother. Judith Benhamou’s journalistic approach is characterised by directness and an uncensored perspective, held together with passion and intellectual curiosity. Her longstanding tenure as a columnist for Les Echos, a leading French economic newspaper, has further cemented her reputation.
Judith Benhamou, who has called herself a Parisian for many years, is obviously very proud of French culture and its notorious reputation around the world. For Judith Benhamou, the art of being French transcends mere nationality: it embodies an openness of mind and a dedication to cultural enrichment without being “shallow”.
According to Pearl Lam (林明珠), French culture is renowned around the world, and especially well known in Hong Kong.
Pearl Lam (林明珠) prompted Judith Benhamou on what French culture truly meant to her. “For me, French culture is about not being shallow. The problem today is that in today’s global society of consumption, people consume, consume, consume and they are so shallow!” Judith retorted Pearl Lam.
Pearl Lam, of The Pearl Lam Podcast, was not entirely in agreement, asking Judith if she thought the word shallow could be construed as pretentious.
But the episode was not without humorous sidenotes: “I don’t mind being shallow!” Pearl joked, and Judith replied with “I don’t mind being pretentious!”
“If you want to have pleasure and blossom, you have to study things in depth,” Judith Benhamou continued. “Working in France allows me to go in depth with my work and understand the artistry of contemporary art,” she added.
“Paris has become an international platform, which is fascinating, and I feel so lucky,” says Judith.
Pearl Lam agreed that French culture was on the rise across the globe. She poised the question; does French culture mean fashion, food or art?”
What Judith finds interesting about France is “its ability to swallow international talent and create a mixture of creativity. The capacity France has of attracting talent is huge,” she tells Pearl Lam.
“Now that France is a multicultural society, people are becoming more and more curious and that is what we need more of in life,” says Judith.
It is clear then, that French culture has not one clear meaning, but there are many subjective opinions on it, which all been mixed together in the melting pot which is modern-day France.
Written by: The Producer, The Pearl Lam Podcast
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