During the summer Paris' fame as an art capital attracts thousands of visitors eager to view the major museum exhibitions. Unfortunately, the crowds and heat can put a damper on one's enthusiasm for even the most brilliant show. Summertime is the best time to discover the city's fabulous parks and gardens, which number over 400. Each year a variety of events and exhibitions are organized to highlight the beauty of these settings. Palm tree art This season the illusion of an exotic vacation to tropical climes can be yours by simply taking the métro to the Porte d'Auteuil! An extraordinary exhibition featuring living palm trees in every form imaginable was recently inaugurated to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Auteuil greenhouses. Giant palms, coconut palms, date palms, fan-tail palms, royal palms and many that you've never heard of will transport you to far away places within the magically transformed six acres of garden and greenhouse space. An oasis in the Sahara with sand dunes, a Mediterranean garden and Indonesian rice paddies have all been created to whisk you away to these far-off destinations. You'll learn everything you've ever wanted to know about palm trees, including their 25 million years of history in the form of palm fossils, their use in diverse cultures and their representation in the decorative arts. There are even tasty snacks made from hearts of palm, palm wine, dates, coconuts and other products available in the Salon de thé and gift shop! "Palmiers, Entre Soleil et Ombre," through Oct 10, daily from 10am to 7pm, Jardins des Serres ''d'Auteuil, 3, av de la Porte d' Auteuil, 16e, Metro Porte d'Auteuil, tel: 01.43.28.47.63, 20F/15F. Albert Kahn's secret garden Sacred texts from different cultures often describe the first human beings living in idealic garden settings such as Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. In ancient China, palace gardens conjured imaginary dream landscapes of celestial delights with miniature mountains and ornamental ponds to offer a soothing relief from the constraints and pressures of courtlife. Early Japanese Shinto gardens incorporated empty expanses of white stone platforms to summon animist nature gods. In each civilization one finds a differing set of aesthetics and a unique approach to gardening. Several contrasting cultural traditions are on permanent exhibition in the 12 acres of garden that surround the Musée Albert Kahn in Boulogne. Easily reached by a métro ride to the station Pont-de-St-Cloud; this fascinating museum space and its collection of gardens is one of the city's best kept secrets. The Utopian dream of a world where all civilizations could co-exist in perfect harmony is the vision behind the gardens and institutions created by the banker Albert Kahn. At the turn of the century, Kahn created travel scholarships for artists that were intended to encourage intercultural communication between nations. In 1909 he began what he termed the Planet's Archives, a collection of photographs and rare film footage from around the world which documents customs and landscapes that have long since disappeared. Films from these extraordinary archives can be viewed on individual projection machines, and this month there is a temporary photo exhibit on the theme of Morocco. Outdoors the Japanese, English and French gardens all positively bloom with summery splendor. And to complete the visit, individual reservations may be made to take part in a tea ceremony celebrated by a tea master from Kyoto's famous Urasenke school in the garden's Japanese tea house. Musée Albert Kahn, daily from 11am to 6pm, closed Mon & throughout winter months, 14, rue du Port Boulogne, Boulogne, Metro Pont de St-Cloud, tel: 01.46.04.52.80, 20F. Pepper's Monumental Sculptures When did you last stroll through the Palais Royal gardens? This summer is a good time to rediscover these lovely formal French gardens while viewing 15 monumental sculptures by the American artist Beverly Pepper. In 1960, this already established artist, who had once studied painting in Paris with Fernand Léger, visited Cambodia. The colossal Khmer statues at Angkor Vat were a revelation to her. "I felt transported by the melange of jungle and civilization, this feeling of life that ran through the trees," she declared. Pepper decided to pursue this sense of an almost sacred balance that could exist between man-made sculpture and a natural environment. It is fitting that her first exhibition in Paris should be a major outdoor installation in a garden. Pepper was one of the first women sculptors of her generation to achieve international recognition. "I believe in the long-term, in the permanence of people and things. I try to communicate this feeling in my work," she explains. Words such as "mystic, enigmatic and spiritual" come to mind to describe her strong vertical steel and iron sculptures in rusted orange hues. Beverly Pepper's monumental sculptures will be on view with works by Magdalena Abakonowicz through Sept 1 daily, Jardins du Palais Royal, Metro Louvre-Palais Royal. |
