There’s no better way to start a new season in the fashion capital than with a whole new look. True, Paris can be pricy, but during the two yearly sales, prices are slashed to invite some healthy indulgence of retail therapy. The winter sales (called soldes in French) go to February 08, 2025. Continue reading “Paris’ Winter Sales 2025”
Chiharu Shiota at the Grand Palais
Paris’ Grand Palais presents —before its complete reopening in the spring of 2025— the poetic installations of Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota, “The Soul Trembles” (to March 19, 2025). The exhibition, co-organinised with the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, is an opportunity to discover Shiota’s collection of works spanning over 25 years. It includes several large-scale installations alongside sculptures, performance videos, photographs, drawings, and documentary footage of her stage designs for dance and opera. Continue reading “Chiharu Shiota at the Grand Palais”
Plat du Jour
Susan Herrmann Loomis’ cookbook “ Plat du Jour: French Dinners Made Easy” is a virtual journey to culinary France via recipes, photos, anecdotes and tips. From French “plat du jour” means dish of the day. Loomis is talking about “those dishes you find on handwritten menus outside French bistros or cafés, the ones that beckon everyone inside to sample a restaurant’s mouthwatering menu.” She says “Most plats du jour are classics lifted from the heart of French regional cuisine, dishes that evoke the essence of France, the spirit of terroir and grandmere… from Boeuf Bourguignon and Blanquette de Veau to Bouillabaisse and Croque Monsieur.” Continue reading “Plat du Jour”
Voilà, a new vegan cookbook
“Voilà Vegan,” written by an American expat patissière in Paris, is a new cookbook on plant-based deserts. The author, Amanda Bankert (a Le Cordon Bleu-trained pastry chef) has taken up the challenge —some might say quixotic—of convincing Parisians that vegan pastries (sans butter and eggs) are as tasty as traditional French patisseries. “When I was studying pastry at Le Cordon Bleu, flaxseed eggs and aqua-faba were not included on the syllabus.” says Bankert. “Yet, in a country that reveres butter and cream, my little vegan bakery is frequently included in lists of Paris’ top pastry destinations.” Continue reading “Voilà, a new vegan cookbook”
Rodin’s Invisible Balzac
The Musée Rodin hosts a temporary exhibition “Corps In-Visibles,” drawing on a series of sculptures and studies from the museum’s collection along with 19th century garments from the Palais Galliera. This fascinating exhibition revisits how Rodin created one of his most iconic works: “Monument to Balzac.” (to March 02, 2025). The point of departure for this exhibition features the ghost-like “Study for Balzac’s Dressing Gown,” an empty plaster garment suggesting the body it covered… reminiscent of “The Invisible Man” sci-fi thriller. Continue reading “Rodin’s Invisible Balzac”
L’Age Atomique Revisited
The Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris host “L’Age Atomique” Les artistes à l’épreuve de l’histoire,” an exhibition revisiting how the era is depicted by artists from the forties until today. Bringing together some 250 works—paintings, drawings, photographs, vintage movie clips, installations and documents –the exhibition includes rarely seen works by such major artists as Francis Bacon, Lazlo Moholy-Nagy, Le Corbusier, and Salvador Dali (to February 09, 2025) Continue reading “L’Age Atomique Revisited”
Tarsila do Amaral. Painting Modern Brazil
The Musée du Luxembourg in Paris hosts a Tarsila do Amaral retrospective, “Peindre le Brésil Moderne,” revisiting the work of a central figure of Brazilian modernism (to February 02, 2025). This exhibition (with around 150 works) is surprisingly her first retrospective in France. Until recently the artist— called the Brazilian Picasso— was rarely exhibited outside her home country. Continue reading “Tarsila do Amaral. Painting Modern Brazil”
The Glow of Paris
“The Glow of Paris, the bridges of Paris at night, ” by Gary Zuercher featuring stunning black and white photos in the Ansel Adams tradition, is a real gem. Shooting in the large-format film tradition, the photographer brings to life the city’s storied bridges. “I thought this would be a one-year project” says Zuercher. “In fact, it took more than five years to complete. And in reality it may never end because there is always another inspiring view to be found and photographed.”
French Holiday Wines with Sparkle…
Twelve Bubbly Days of Christmas
Holidays are times to uncork a bottle of bubbly and make a toast. Although France’s champagne is the world’s most famous celebratory drink there are others that merit tasting. Since there are twelve days of Christmas here are a dozen bubblies to get you in the spirit this season. Continue reading “French Holiday Wines with Sparkle…”
Tale of Two Trees
Galerie Odile Ouizeman is showing Anne-Sophie Emard’s immersive installation “Twiinning Trees, Le bois est un document,” which poetically links two lime trees (tilleuls)… one located in the gallery’s indoor garden, and the other, a remarkable 400 year-old lime tree growing on botanist Sylvain Pouvaret’s arnica herb farm (located in the Auvergne, Puy-de-Dome).
The exhibition is a collaboration with “le projet Silvae and the Conservatoire d’Espaces Naturels d’Auvergne” (to December 10, 2024) Continue reading “Tale of Two Trees”
Saying Cheese in French
The tastes of autumn… Fall is a lovely time to stroll through a Paris market and take the opportunity to reconnect with local merchants. Your cheese vendor, wine shop keeper and greengrocer can help you celebrate France’s autumn bounty by pointing out in-season foods that complement each other, such as fruit, cheese and wine. Continue reading “Saying Cheese in French”