“Loading, L’art urbain à l’ère numérique” revisits the recent history of street art and the impact of new technologies on its creation and dissemination (until July 21, 2024). The exhibition at Paris’ Grand Palais Immersif greets visitors with a spectacular 360 degree immersive screen experience followed by several interactive installations including: “World Wide Walls” (a joystick ride of global graffiti partnered by Google Art & Culture), “Hello, my name is…” (a DIY digital graffiti experience) and Seb Toussaint’s “Magnet Mural” inviting visitors to create a collective artwork with coloured magnetic shapes. Continue reading “Loading Urban Art”
Christmas Markets, Paris 2023
Paris’ Christmas markets are among the things that make the holidays special in France. The markets are found all over the city from the Tuilleries Garden to Saint Germain des Pres to the Parvis de la Mairie du 15e. But the biggest (10,000 meters) and most diversified market (200 stalls) is found at Paris’ La Défense. The earliest Christmas markets date back to the late middle ages and have their origin in Germany. The Dresden “Striezelmarkt” is said to be the oldest Christmas market and was first held in the 15th century. The Bautzen Christmas market and the Vienna “December Market” are supposed to be even older dating back to the 13th century. It was in 1570 when the Christmas market tradition found its way into Alsace, France’s easternmost region bordering Germany.
Modern Times à la Parisienne
“Le Paris de la Modernité: 1905-1925” is an exhibition revisiting the Paris art scene from the end of the Belle Époque to the Roaring Twenties. It was a time when the city was exploding with a frenzy of creative energy attracting artists from all over the world. For Ernest Hemingway Paris in those years was a moveable feast (until April 14, 2024. Modernism sought a new alignment with modern times. The world was changing with new technologies rapidly affecting how people lived, traveled, worked… and made war. Artists felt they needed to change too. Many did while exploring new imagery, materials and techniques. “Le Paris de la Modernité” (at the Petit Palais) tells how the modern art story played out in Paris from 1905 to 1925. Continue reading “Modern Times à la Parisienne”
Jazzy Dance Rendez Vous
Chanson, tap dance, joie de vivre with a Frenchy jazzy cabaret on a barge on the Seine in central Paris? Sounds good to us! “Parisian Time Step” is the new show –Nov 28, 2023– from tap dancer Ruby Boukabou and singer/ dancer Wendy Lee Taylor (Lido de Paris) with piano by Philippe Petit and Cédric Caullaud on double bass. The show is a fun celebration of Paris, music and tap dance where the audience time travels back to the Belle Epoque with its cheeky polkas; 1930s music halls and smokey 1940s-50s Saint Germain jazz bars. Continue reading “Jazzy Dance Rendez Vous”
Julia Margaret Cameron Paris Exhibit
“Capturer la beauté” (Arresting Beauty), the Julia Margaret Cameron exhibit at Paris’ Jeu de Paume, revisits the photography of one of the most important portraitists of the 19th century. Known for her soft-focus closeups of famous Victorians, sensitive portraits of women and children and poetic photo allegories, Cameron ranks among the most important photographers of the 19th century. After establishing herself among London’s cultural elite, Cameron formed her own salon frequented by distinguished Victorians at the seaside village of Freshwater, Isle of Wight. Her timeless and original body of work, created within just over a decade (between 1864 and 1875), is a major milestone marking the beginnings of photography (to January 28, 2024). Continue reading “Julia Margaret Cameron Paris Exhibit”
Dana Schutz’s “Monde Visible”
One of the most prominent figures in the U.S. new figuration scene, Dana Schutz, is featured with an exhibition “Le Monde Visible” (The Visible World) at the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris (until February 11, 2024). With forty paintings from the early 2000s until today, drawings and recent sculptures it spans her stellar two decade career. Schutz (born 1976) is among the most successful female artists of her generation. Her painting “Elevator” recently sold at Christie’s for $6.5 million. It is the first time that the work of this internationally renowned American artist has been shown on this scale in France. Continue reading “Dana Schutz’s “Monde Visible””
Glow of Paris Exhibited
If you are in Paris this fall, don’t miss Gary Zuercher’s “Glow of Paris” exhibition at the Hotel de Ville. It features a selection of 24 pictures from the photographer’s recent book “The Glow of Paris, The Bridges of Paris at Night” (Oct. 16-Nov. 30, 2023). The outdoor exhibition is free and open to the public 24/7 (Grilles de l’Hotel de Ville, 29, rue de Rivoli, 4eme).
Zuercher’s book, with its stunning black and white photos in the Ansel Adams tradition with stories about Paris’ legendary bridges, 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.”
Van Gogh in Auvers-sur-Oise
The exhibition “Van Gogh à Auvers-sur-Oise, les derniers mois” at the Musée d’Orsay (to February 4, 2024 ) is an excellent opportunity to visit the town where the artist made his last paintings.
Vincent van Gogh spent his final days in Auvers-sur-Oise. In this picturesque village located just a short train ride from Paris you can walk in Van Gogh’s footsteps, from his attic room at the Auberge Ravoux to the places where he planted his easel: the church of Auvers, the house of the painter Daubigny, the house of his friend Doctor Gachet, and the field where he painted his last work, “Wheat Field With Crows” (1890). Continue reading “Van Gogh in Auvers-sur-Oise”
Roger Cohen’s Meditations on Life and Politics
“An Affirming Flame: Meditations on Life and Politics” is journalist Roger Cohen’s new book bringing together some of his best columns. The lengthy introductory essay —almost a mini-book in itself—is an insightful and somber reflection on the multi-interrelated crises urgently confronting America and the world today. Continue reading “Roger Cohen’s Meditations on Life and Politics”
Montmartre Fetes its Wine
That the Butte’s wine is almost undrinkable has never gotten in the way of what has to be one of this capital’s best annual fests! This year the Fete des Vendanges de Montmartre takes place Oct 11-15, 2023.
As with any good party, this one has something for everybody: it’s part folklore, with fraternal orders from the winegrowing regions of France turning out in traditional robes and quirky hats, and part Arbor Day parade, complete with Harvest Queen, marching bands and street theater. Continue reading “Montmartre Fetes its Wine”
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”