Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Something for the Holidays

I will be away from Paris for around 10 days, but for those who will be in the city over the holiday period, here are a few suggestions of things to do. Consider it a kind of 'best of' of recent suggestions.

If you are in Paris on Christmas or New Year's Day, you will note that the city doesn't stop like certain other cities (London..). It is possible to take a Metro, go to restaurants, the cinema or the theatre and even visit the Eiffel tower. However, most of the large museums are closed on both days.

Musée des Arts Forains
A collection of 19th century fairground equipment you can actually play with and ride on. Open exceptionally until Jan 2nd

53 Avenue des Terroirs de France, 75012, M° Bercy
http://www.pavillons-de-bercy.com/EN/museum-fairground-art.html

Ice Skating
The main ice rink is situated in front of the Hotel de Ville, but note also that there are a free 'winter sports' activities organised at the Stade Charlety in the south of the city.


Everyday life in Paris during the Occupation

Not very festive perhaps, but fascinating nonetheless, this exhibition of photos and posters shows how the inhabitants of Paris lived when their city was occupied between
1940 and 1944.

Free entry
Réfectoire des Cordeliers
15, rue de l’Ecole-de-Médecine 75006


Brune, Blonde
Do gentlemen prefer blondes? This exhibition at the Cinemathèque Française investigates the subject of how the cinema (as well as painters, photographers and sculptures) has represented blondes, brunettes and redheads, and how hair has become a theme apart in film. Mixing film extracts, television clips, photographs and paintings, the exhibition is an aesthetic triumph.

See
the trailer for the exhibition.
Visit
the virtual exhibition!

Until January 16th 2011
Cinemathèque Française
Rue de Bercy, M° Bercy



La France vu par Raymond Depardon
Raymond Depardon, a film maker, photographer and documentary maker, has spent the last few years travelling round France taking photos of an 'ordinary France'. As he explains, "I visited very different places, with very different stories. I’ve made it a rule to keep a distance from the subject which allowed me to consider regionalistic specificities and try to tell our common story of everyday life." The result is a series of photos detailing an invisible(!) France populated with industrial estates, car parks and banal shops and houses. It's about as far from the touristic picture book cliché as you can get, but it is a real France and not without its own beauty.

Click here for a film of the exhibition.

Until January 9th, 2011 Bibliothèque nationale François Mitterrand
Tuesday - Saturday from de 10am to 7pm, Sunday from 1pm to 7pm 7€/5€



Winter in the city
During the snowiest winter I have ever known in Paris, what could be more seasonal than a selection of photos of cities in winter? Photographer Christophe Jacrot has chosen three cities, Paris, New York and Chicago, and snapped them in their coldest winter dress. The result is striking (see a sneak preview here).

"Hiver en villes"
Galerie de l'Europe, 55 rue de Seine, 75006

Until January 8th, 2011


Attraction at the 104
Ever since its creation in 2008, the 104 arts centre has struggled to find an identity and an audience. It hasn’t been helped by the fact that it is so large and therefore contains so much unused space, but this is slowly changing. Now that the inevitable cafes, restaurants and shops have been installed, all that has been needed is a significant event, and the
team at the centre hope that ‘Attraction’ will provide just that. Based around the creations of artists linked to the centre, it will feature circus, burlesque, visual art, music and even a giant merry go ‘square’! Only one significant problem remains though. With it being such a large open space, it tends to be rather cold there!

104 Rue d'Aubervilliers, M°Stalingrad

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

The soundtrack of our lives at Le Royal Monceau

With a flurry of top class hotel openings currently taking place in Paris, each owner is looking for something a little bit different to help their establishment stand out from the crowd. At the newly redesigned (by the inevitable Philippe Starck) Royal Monceau hotel, the management have asked the sound designers at New York based Soundwalk to compose a 24-hour audio environment.

Soundwalk have created specific, exclusive soundtracks for Le Royal Monceau's different public spaces: Le Bar Long, Le Grand Salon, the Cinéma des Lumières (the first cinema ever installed in a Paris luxury hotel), the La Cuisine restaurant and the lifts.

Built around jazz and caberet music, snatches of sound interludes and clips from legendary French films, the creators have seemingly aimed for a 1920s and 30s vibe. According to Soundwalk, this is “in tune with the spirit of a hotel designed by Philippe Starck as a "mental space" conducive to fertile encounters and surprises”.

Will a carefully designed sound environment change the way that people interact with the hotel they are staying at or eating in? Perhaps the best people to ask would be the members of staff who will have to experience the recordings on loop day after day!

To listen to extracts of these environments, visit the Soundwalk website.


Friday, December 17, 2010

Something for the Weekend (17th – 19th December)

What’s planned in Paris the last weekend before Christmas?

Winter in the city
With more snow predicted this weekend, what could be more seasonal than a selection of photos of cities in winter? Photographer Christophe Jacrot has chosen three cities,
Paris, New York and Chicago, and snapped them in their coldest winter dress. The result is striking (see a sneak preview here).

"Hiver en villes"
Galerie de l'Europe, 55 rue de Seine, 75006

Until January
8th, 2011

Christmas Shopping
If you still have some Christmas shopping to do, try these suggestions:
Christmas Parties
Christmas is also party time. Try these festive events:
  • Grand bal de noël des filles de joie: A christmas special edition and a hommage to the universe of Tim Burton. Snow, glamorous elves, sexy fairies, insolent goblins, magic and good humour are all promised, as well as the traditional burlesque pin-ups and cabaret divas! Sunday 19th December, 6pm, La Bellevilloise, 19-21 Rue Boyer, 75020.
  • Les 10 ans des Mains d'Oeuvres: Saint Ouen is not just home to Les Puces, but also an innovative and influential art venue. This Saturday night it will be celebrating its 10th birthday with over 90 artists from a wide range of disciplines. Full details here: http://www.mainsdoeuvres.org/article1082.html
  • Fargo Records - un goûter de noël: Saturday is also a day of festivities at Fargo records. At 3pm, Patricia De Gorostarzu will be dedicating copies of her book 'Vintage America'. At 5.30pm, the shop will be offering a festive 'goûter', with a Christmas music quiz being held afterwards at the American Bistro next door. La Boutique Fargo, 42 rue de la Folie Méricourt, 75011.
  • Belleville Mon Amour: Celebrating the 150th birthday of the 20th arrondissement of Paris, and the annexing of the town of Belleville into Paris. Walks, photography, music and a giant birthday cake! http://www.bellevillemonamour.fr/




Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Musée des Arts Forains: open exceptionally for the holidays

The musée des Arts Forains is a collection of 19th century fairground equipment, and a museum more in name than in practice. Housed in an old wine storage facility, it is a privately owned establishment which is used almost exclusively as an exotic backdrop to corporate events. Exceptionally though this Christmas, it will be open for two weeks, from December 20th to January 2nd.

The museum is organised in a similar manner to a fairground, but it is also part of a larger site known as the Pavillons de Bercy, which also includes two private streets and a salon venetien. Over the festive period, organisers also promise that it will all be dressed up in a suitable manner!

53 Avenue des Terroirs de France, 75012
http://www.pavillons-de-bercy.com/EN/museum-fairground-art.html

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Something for the Weekend (10th – 12th December)


Magnum Days

Magnum Days is a three-day event organised by the mythical photographic agency at their offices in Paris, featuring not only sales of collector and signed editions, exhibition posters and postcards, but also the chance to meet - and even discuss your portfolios - with photographers from the institution. All in all, a unique opportunity to have a behind the scenes look at how they operate.


Magnum Photos Paris

December 9 - 11, 2010, 12pm-9pm

19, Rue Hégésippe Moreau, 75018
http://events.magnumphotos.com/portfolio-review/magnum-days

Attraction at the 104
Ever since its creation in 2008, the 104 arts centre has struggled to find an identity and an audience. It hasn’t been helped by the fact that it is so large and therefore contains so much unused space, but this is slowly changing. Now that the inevitable cafes, restaurants and shops have been installed, all that has been needed is a significant event, and the team at the centre hope that ‘Attraction’ will provide just that. Based around the creations of artists linked to the centre, it will feature circus, burlesque, visual art, music and even a giant merry go ‘square’!

Attraction begins this Friday with a giant (free!) party, and will be a kind of rolling event with no defined end date. As the organisers point out, ‘on sait quand ça commence, mais on ne sait pas où ça s’arrête’.
Only one significant problem remains though. With it being such a large open space, it will probably be rather cold there this weekend!

104 Rue d'Aubervilliers, M°Stalingrad

Promenade hollandais (a Dutch walk !)

With the Piet Mondrian exhibition currently running at the Centre Pompidou, now is the time to revisit the lives of some famous Dutch expatriates in Paris. This 7-hour (!) walk on Saturday will cover Mondrian’s atelier as well as the Dutch pavillion in the Cité Université and Théo Van Doesburg’s house in Meudon.


For full details, see the Promenades Urbaines website.

This weekend’s Christmas events

Three different christmas markets, all promising young designers, ethical gifts and a friendly atmosphere. Choose your favourite or try all three!

9O years of the French Communist Party
Finally, for those of you who are interested in less material matters, the French Communist Party is celebrating its 90th birthday this weekend with a series of events at their Oscar Niemeyer designed HQ. Full details can be found here.

If you have any other suggestions, don't forget to add them to the comments below!

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Something for the Weekend (3rd – 5th December)

Skating, shopping, soccer and saveurs this weekend. More details below...

Des Monstres Aux Skates

The Rubis bar which I wrote about just after it opened is getting more and more interesting. As well as regular concerts, they are now hosting an art exhibition called Des Monstres Aux Skates. Mini-interview with Paul Guidal, organiser of the event:


Can you describe the exhibition in a few words?

A group of artists using a skateboard as a support and monsters as a theme!


Why this theme and this support?

The idea came to me during the making of an animated film that I was directing. I thought it would be a good idea to reproduce the experience, and to bring together a group of artists, suggest a subject and a format, but without any particular graphic style imposed on them.


Who is taking part?

At first I thought that maybe there would be ten skateboards, but the idea proved to be a popular one, so I added ten more artists, and then another two that will be coming from New Zealand for the final exhibition (note: the boards will be displayed in three groups). Most of the artists come from the world of animation, but there are are also graphic artists, printers and illustrators.


Le Rubis
Launch party Saturday 4th, from 7pm (with DJ, happy hour until 8pm)
140 rue Saint-Maur 75011

Le PSG a 40 ans

Without giving too many secrets away, the leading football club in Paris was born in the same year as me, so it’s only natural that I should want to share in their party. The city of Paris is also getting involved with a selection of 40 iconic photos (Weah, Ginola, Ronaldhino) in the Hotel de Ville.


Until January 29th, 2011
Salon d'accueil de l'Hôtel de Ville 29, rue de Rivoli, 75001
Free entry

Braderie des Editeurs d'Art
Around 40 publishers will be selling some of their stock (books, DVDs, lithographs, post cards) at heavily discounted prices, in the pleasant setting of the Ecole nationale superieure des beaux-arts.

Saturday 4th/Sunday 5th, 10am - 7pm
Ecole nationale superieure des beaux-arts, 14 Rue Bonaparte, 75006

Arty Xmas
Taking place in a converted cardboard factory, this event promises unique, original and affordable gifts from the artists and artisans of Belleville, in a warm and welcoming environment.

Saturday 4th/Sunday 5th
La Cartonnerie, 12, rue Deguerry, 75011 Paris, M° Goncourt

www.lacartonnerieparis.com

May also of interest this weekend
A few more ideas - if you have any others, please let me (and other readers) know in the comments.


  • Ed Banger on Ice. The first Friday of the month in winter means ice-skating parties at the Pailleron rink. For those who want to continue the party later on, an after is planned at the Point Ephemere.
  • The first weekend of the month also means free museums on Sunday. Click here for the full list of museums taking part.
  • With Christmas nearly upon us, now is the time to stock up on food and wine. The huge annual December Salon Saveurs event gives us the opportunity. Tickets are normally 8 Euros, but you can normally find free passes in the magazine of the same name.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Where to find the real Christmas spirit in Paris - part 2

Continued from yesterday, a few suggestions for a few places to soak up an authentic festive atmosphere in the city.

The Jardins du Palais Royal
After visiting the Galerie Vivienne, cross over the Rue des Petits Champs and take a stroll in the gardens of the Palais Royal, especially if night has already fallen. In the early evening darkness, the shops and cafes under the arcades become even more inviting.

The Bon Marché and the Grande Epicerie

I never normally go to the Bon Marché, and indeed start to get panic attacks when I leave the right-bank, but this grand magasin just seems to be the one that does Christmas best. It's most definitely haughty and snobbish, but that also means that it is more restrained and an altogether calmer experience than the other large department stores. Christmas to the French means food and drink above all else, so where better to get a French flavour of Christmas than in the food hall of the Bon Marché, the Grande Epicerie?

La Madeleine
Like most people who celebrate Christmas, I am not a religious person, and yet I am still a sucker for the atmosphere of a church, the candles and incense and the atmospheric music. This year, the best place to find that ambience will be at the Madeleine church. As it has been the year of Russia in France, the church will be presenting a Russian themed 'creche' this Christmas, and to continue the exotic theme, the Christmas concert on Saturday 11th December will be given by a young choir from Bratislavia in Slovakia.

Do you have any other suggestions? I'd love to hear them.