John Armleder:Jacques Garcia - an unusual experience in Paris Swiss Cultural Center

Wandering in Paris Marais streets  on a hot or rainy, or windy day, do take a break and pay a visit to Swiss Cultural Center, located rue des Francs-Bourgeois, at the end of a narrow cobbled alley.

The Swiss artist John Armleder has kept being concerned by the prominent part of the viewer in a work of art, and the relation between paintings and their surroundings.

“Most of the time, my paintings would end being hanged next to a couch or over a fire place, so at this point, I decided to provide both the painting and the couch.“

As John Armleder thinks that it’s the viewer who makes the work of art, French designer Jacques Garcia thinks that it’s the customer who makes the design.

For this installation, John Armleder has asked  Jacques Garcia, well known for his baroque, neo- gothique, second empire interiors (Ladurée tea rooms for example), to create a furnished flat as a setting for paintings and photographs.

You first enter a fancy dining room  with a table set for supper, and then come in a boudoir opening on a bedroom, with a tiger skin laying  on the floor, its naturalized  mouth wide open, and a painting of a vampire lady on the wall. All  walls are covered with burgundy drapes, the only natural light comes from a ceiling window.  Profusion of art and literary books, decorative objects, paintings and photos on the walls (not all by Armleder) that  share a  sophisticated and a bit deleterious erotic touch, all that make you feel it’s really someone’s place. An odd, out of time, a kitsch but somehow charming private place, a place you don’t belong to.  And suddenly, you see yourself in a mirror you had’nt noticed : you’re part of the whole installation. It makes you feel as if you were walking inside a Gustave Moreau painting.

A bit weird experience, but really worth it.

Centre Cuturel Suisse 132-138 rue des Francs-Bourgeois 75003 Paris Metro Saint-Paul tel 33 (0) 1 42 71 44 50 opened Wednesday to Sunday 13 - 20, Thursday up to 22. Free entrance. Exhibition John Armleder : Jacques Garcia up to August 4, and from September 3 to September 28 (Swiss Cultural Center closes in August )

For more information, go to : www.ccsparis.com/

all shades of red in Paris Musée des Arts Décoratifs

In Paris, 2008 celebrates red as a color, and it takes place at Museum of Decorative Arts, located in a western wing of Louvre Palace.

Red as a color has many strong and opposite meanings, such as passion, danger, interdiction, rebellion, power…in popular French, “prendre un coup de rouge” does’nt mean what it’s literal translation suggests : “get hit by a communist”, but just “have a glass of (red) wine”.

Organizing elements of its permanent collection, the museum proposes an exhibition called aussi rouge que possible (”as red as possible”). It’s a series of installations , focused on diferent themes.

Red for power:

sculpture of roman emperor Hadrien (antique restored in French seventeenth century) next to  armchair Big Easy (Ron Arad, Italy 1991) and a portrait of Turgot by Carl Van Loo (circle 1739)

Red interiors:

armchair vermetila Fernando Campana Brazil 1993

couch Bocca Studio 65 Torino 1969, in front of 1950 posters for Lido Review and lipstick Rouge Baiser

Red clothes :

couch Djinn by Olivier Mourgue France 1993 under a tapestry : Return of the prodigal son France 1580

hats (1939/1950) in front of the window where a 1990 Yohji Yamamoto dress stands in front of a Castilian altar piece (circa 1475/1480) featuring Saint Michel beating the dragon, and two servant dresses (France 1820 - 1860)

Hell and Redemption :

Cabinet Enfer by Elisabeth Garouste Mattia Bonetti France 1998 and a poster advertising Anis Infernal by Leonetto Capiello France 1905

Red Alert:

Poster Hiroshima mon Amour (a play by Marguerite Duras) Théâtre de la tête noire, France 1998.

And in the same time and place, Valentino, Themes and Variations, an exhibition dedicated to the work of a fashion designer well known for his “red”.

And it’s also fascinating to wander through this museum’s huge and various permanent collection.

Musée des Arts Décoratifs, 107 rue de Rivoli 75001 Paris, Metro Palais-Royal, tel 33 (0)1 44 55 57 80 Closed on Monday, Tuesday Wednesday Friday : 11 to 18, Thursday 11 to 21, Saturday Sunday : 10 to 18.

Exhibition Aussi Rouge que Possible, up to November 1.

Exhibition  Valentino, Thèmes et Variations, up to September 21

ephemeral garden and everlasting myth around Paris town hall

At the edge of Marais area’south part, Paris Hôtel de Ville is nowadays offering us two kind of dream, one on each side of the building.

On Town Hall’s eastern side, a free temporary exhibition is dedicated to Grace Kelly, princess of Monaco.

Anyone who has seen her entrance in Hitchcock’s Rear Window (except Jim Stewart, performing the main character) can understand why Grace Kelly became a Hollywood myth, and consequently a prince’s bride.

There is a huge line in the afternoon, so I would suggest to go in the morning if you don’t want to wait too long.

You’ll still have stars in your eyes while walking on rue de Rivoli towards Town Hall square.

There, you can take an ecological and dreamy journey.

A quiet green pond reflects Town Hall’s front.

People rest in the sun close to a wooden cabin.

and luxuriant plants almost hide the traffic of one of Paris most crowded areas.

Les années Grace Kelly, Princesse de Monaco Hôtel de Ville salle Saint-Jean Metro Hôtel de Ville, everyday except Sundays  10/19, free entrance (last entrance 18).  Up to August 16.

Le jardin éphémère, Parvis de l’Hötel de Ville, Metro Hôtel de Ville, free entrance everyday 9/21, up to August 17.

Musée Bourdelle : a quiet journey back to old Paris Montparnasse

The current exhibition Rêve Brisé by Alain Séchas also gives the opportunity to discover the Bourdelle Museum.

It’s a brick building of the sixties, on a quiet street close to the noisy avenue du Maine, Montparnasse Raiway Station and Tower.

Along the street, a garden with benches to sit, rest, dream or read among some of the more than 500 sculptures by Antoine Bourdelle that are permanently exhibited in all parts of the museum. Here a neo antique warrior with a modern background.

The arcades on the museum’s building side makes you almost feel you’re in a cloister, with profane statues.

this one is called the Fruits, and this proud young Eve is typical of many Bourdelle’s women figures.

As this gracious silhouette in the dark of the museum entrance.

Many of Bourdelle’s works are exhibited in a large room lighted by a glass roof.

The famous Héracles archer. (1909)

A bas-relief called La Tragédie, made  in 1912 for the Champs-Elysées Theater.

In the back of the exhibition rooms, you get further in the past, entering the studio where Antoine Bourdelle worked from 1884 up to his death in 1929.

It overlooks a backyard with outdoor scultptures, among these, another (bronze) version of the dying centaur that we just saw in the studio. It is really cool out there, even on hot days.

Back toward the street, you can also visit Bourdelle’s appartment, originaly located impasse du Maine, which no longer exists.

It’s cluttered up with statues which certainly were some place else when Bourdelle lived there, and modern metallic chairs and halogen lamp look terrible. But still, you can get an idea of a nineteenth century Montparnasse artist home, focusing on the few pieces of furniture along the walls.

Musée Bourdelle, 18 rue Antoine Bourdelle, 75015 Paris Metro Montparnasse, tel 33(0)1 49 54 73 73, open everyday except Monday 10-18, free entrance when there is no temporary exhibition (currantly Alain Séchas Rêve Brisé up to August 24.

June 25 : Sales begin in Paris stores

Summer sales begin in Paris tomorrow morning Wednesday June 25, and will last up to August 2. As spring has been quite chilly, those who can’t try a summer dress when they freeze in their sweaters did’nt buy (I belong to this type ). And middle class people were not so wealthy, not to speak of lower classes - and as everybody knows, there’s no one so greedy as rich chicks who could bite or tramp on one another to get a good price at Gucci or Prada.

Anyway, I think that all kind of stores have a lot of stock. The first day is not a good day - unless you have already focused on one special thing. And if you can, rather try week’s late mornings than Saturday afternoon. If don’t find your size at Galeries Lafayette, try at the Printemps next door, or at the Bon Marché on left bank. They all send about the same trademarks. Or try small shops. Have fun.

Alain Séchas in Paris Musée Bourdelle : “Rêve Brisé”, a never ending dream

Paris Musée Bourdelle often welcomes living artists (previously, Henry Moore) and for this new exhibition, Alain Séchas has worked in relation with the world and art of Antoine Bourdelle.

The magnificent cat in the poster, sitting in front of a Bourdelle’s nude bronze might sign an important evolution in Séchas universe, up to now mostly composed of stylized white cats.

As in this 2002 installation in Salpétrière church, called les Somnambules (the sleepwalkers)

Since I have seen these half human cats wandering in circle around the frozen canopy bed of a wide awake catlike princess, I kept being interested by Séchas work.

And this last one is worth visiting.

In the museum ’s great hall, among Bourdelle’s sculptures, Alain Séchas white centaur stands like on a scene, brighty lighted every fifteen minutes. It has taken the usual place of one of Bourdelle’s Dying Centaurs, which is waiting in a nearby room with a clock called Gong, showing hour and date since the beginning of Séchas exhibition.

The Dying Centaur is a major mythological figure in Bourdelle’s work, and in the museum, you may find another one in Bourdelle’s studio, and another more in the inner garden.

They do look alike, for Alain Séchas’centaur is made of white polyester, from the moulds made for the bronze versions of Bourdelle’s scuplture. It’s not called Dying Centaur but Rêve Brisé (Broken Dream). Broken dream of a creature not only half human, half animal but half human, half god too.

So every fifteen minutes, after light has come on the white centaur, it starts slowly collapsing.

It comes more and more to pieces as it falls.

And at the end of the process, its head bangs against the ground.

But after a while, it starts rising from the dead.

Until it’s completely up and restored.

And then light fades out, and fifteen minutes later, the centaur dies and comes back to (still) life.

Though of course, it is the movement (in circle) which sighs the artist’s singularity in his tribute to Bourdelle.

In other rooms are shown pastels, pencil, paintings made by Séchas without preliminary drawing, in a continuity of time, on a rotating support. Like le plaisir, four acrylic paintings on cartboard :

Or Criterium, named after a famous pencil pen trademark :

or Ping Pang Pong :

All titles testify of the artist’s sense of humor.

Alain Séchas, Rêve Brisé, Musée Bourdelle, 18 rue Antoine Bourdelle, Metro Montparnasse, everyday  except Monday 10 to 18, entrance 5 euros, up to August 24. Tel : 33(0)1 49 54 73 73.

It might be worth while calling, for the first time I came to visit this exhibition, the centaur’s mecanism was out of order, and could be fixed only the next Monday (while the museum was closed).

Saturday June 21 : Fête de la Musique in Paris

It is the shortest night of the year, and as in most of the cities, it’s Fête de la Musique in Paris, where it was created in the eighties.

Pieces for chorus by French composers in Cour d’honneur du Sénat (Luxembourg garden) at 4 PM, chamber music in Parc de Bagatelle Orangerie (Bois de Boulogne) at 2PM : afternoon concerts in beautiful gardens for classical music amateurs. And in the evening, you may go on with Psyche by César Franck in Musée d’Orsay or Gounod’s Requiem at Eglise de la Madeleine (both at 20.30)

If you’re travelling with kids, head north up to Cité de la Musique : from 2 PM up to 22, all kind of concerts and activities for very young ones and for their parents.

If you’re a jazz fan, you’ll hang around rue des Lombards, starting at 9 PM, the three clubs in the street pay a tribute to Stéphane Grapelli. You pay for one show and attend the other free.

If you don’t fear the crowd, you’ll be Place de la Bastille : world music, rap and videos, beginning at 20.

You may also wander at random. Public transports run all night long (for 2.50 euros), but some stations will be closed at usual time. Maps and information in RER, train and metro stations.

For 0.35 euros, buy this week’s Officiel des Spectacles (tiny bible for all Paris shows issued every Wednesday) and have major Paris programs (filed by arrondissements) in your pocket.

Otherwise, for all information on all events around and in Paris go to : http://fetedelamusique.culture.fr/

Artsenat 2008 : French Modern Art in Paris Jardin du Luxembourg #2

Most of Artsenat 2008 charm comes from the setting of modern art next to nineteenth century sculptures and in a garden where people also come for other activities.

Morceaux Fleuris (left) and Origine Pop (right) created by Faz in 2008 might not be so charming if they weren’t set on both sides of the tribute to Delacroix by Aimé Jules Dalou and the young lady walking her baby in a red carriage makes the whole installation complete.

Just as the Arbres de Vie (2008) by Nathalie Decoster fit in the green of the original trees.

And the rain has filled the cups of Grand poète ivre (a tribute to Li Po) by Axel Cassel.

Jordi la cage de lumière et de vent 2008

Christophe Dalecki Petite ligne verte

IP 26 by Nicolas Sanhes (2007) shines on its classical architecture background.

And some prefer to sit in the sun and enjoy the view.

Life goes on as ever (I remember riding pony along this alley when I was a kid)

And at the end of this alley stands a huge head.

Tiny young girls next to the 6 meters and a half high Prophète by Louis Derbré (2007) and the statue of Valentine de Milan, duchesse d’Orléans in the background.

The huge profile fitting in the “Allée des reines” (row of nineteenth century statues of ancient queens)

As the half circle made of nine bronze sculptures spell out of the work’s title : Tolérance

Letter “E” of this installation by Guy Ferrer framing the landscape.

After pacing up and down the garden, the nicest place to rest is the fontaine Médicis, next to the Sénat.

There you can sit in the shade along the water.

the sculpture by Auguste-Louis Ottin features cyclops Polyphème in the process of crushing the lovers Acis and Galatée.

Marble and flesh lovers of all ages.

Jardin du Luxembourg 75006 Paris RER Luxembourg. Open from sunrise to sunset. Exhibition Artsénat 2008 up to September 21.

Artsenat 2008, French Modern Art in Paris Jardin du Luxembourg #1

Boulevard Saint-Michel and rue de Médicis all around the Luxembourg garden, iron gates are covered with various large photos.

But inside the garden, during all summer, “Artsénat 2008” proposes an exhibition of French Modern Art, “Du vent dans les branches” (”Wind in the Branches”).

Around Robert Combas, whose work is on the poster, forty less well known artists have settled down in the garden.

You can sit on the lawn next to flowerbeds and large orange Germination (2003/2004) by Philippe Desloubières.

Un certain walkman, created in 1987 by Philippe Seené seems to jump imitating the gesture of the sculpture laying in the bush behind him …

…l’effort, a 1907 sculpture by Pierre Roche.

Figure accroupie (2000) by Jeanne Bouchard seems to be part of the trees around.

While in her Sphère étude n°1 (1995) a skinny Sisyphe rolls his heavy burden over seated readers in front of …

…le triomphe de Silène, triumph of French nineteenth century sculpture, by Aimé-Jules Dalou

The stag in the installation by Roland Cognet (Cerf, 2008) watches the tennis players.

While red strips hang over the chess players heads, it’s du vent dans les branches, the 2008 installation by Jean-Marc Sicard which has given its name to the whole exhibition. Around the trunks, red strips on which one can read the riddle written on the hanging ones : “être dans le vent est une ambition de feuille morte”( to be trendy is a dead leaf’s ambition )

In front of the Orangerie stands the huge Pôt de jambes en bouquet de pieds et de mollets (pot of legs with a bunch of feet and calves) created in 2007 by Robert Combas.

If you are in Paris this week, up to June 15, you can see works exhibited in the Orangerie.

In front of the entrance, a 2006 canvas by Robert Combas is facing his outdoor sculpture : le guerrier païen (the pagan warrior).

The Orangerie hall, with Extrusion de feuilles, a 2008 sculpture by Jean Isnard, in front of Cut hands, a 2007 painting by Michèle Robine.

Forêt de Songes and Le corbeau (2007), by Philippe Borderieux, in front of Eve on the promised land, two 2007 canvasses by Corinne Phima.

Enjoy 24 and 25 by Xio Fan Ru (2007)

Banc (bench, 2008) and Evitement (High pass (?), 2007), installation by Jean-Paul Réti in front of le Pont (the bridge, 2007) by Stéphane Pencréac’h.

La source by Stéphane Pencréac’h (2007)

Part of Arbre # 2 (2003) by Tian Bing Li .

Artsénat 2008, Orangerie du Sénat 19 bis rue de Vaugirard 75006 Paris (entrance in Luxembourg garden) everyday 11/19, up to June 15, free entrance. Program of following exhibitions on http://www.senat.fr/evenement/artsenat/2008/index.htm

Artsénat 2008, “Du vent dans les branches”, jardin du Luxembourg, entrance rue de Vaugirard, RER B station Luxembourg, open everyday from sunrise to sunset, free entrance, up to September 21.

Summer coming in Paris : enjoy opera outdoor

June in Paris, season of outdoor opera in gorgeous settings.

This year, it’s Jacques Offenbach’s les contes d’Hoffmann (Hoffmann’s Tales)

This week it takes place in Paris Jardin du Luxembourg, and the scene is set in front the Senat Palace.

If the weather is fine (and it’s definitely better to go on a warm evening) you can take a walk in the garden and buy a ticket on the spot, close to the Senat and the rue de Vaugirard in front of Odeon theater entrance. It starts at 21.15 and runs on June 12,13 and 14. Price : 89 euros (”Carré d’or”), 67, 57 and 39 euros.

Then it will take place in Parc de Sceaux, in front of the castle on June 26, 27 and 28, and it’s a beautiful location too. I was there last year for die Zauberflöte and it was delightful. But this year, weather is a bit hectic theses days, so you’d better check weather forecast before booking in advance, calling 0892 707 920 (from France only).

From July 12 to September 14 takes place in Parc de Sceaux the Orangerie Festival, indoor classical music concerts, every Saturday and Sunday evenings, interesting to combine with a walk in this beautiful garden. Informations on : http://festival.orangerie.free.fr/

Reservation : FNAC and http://www.concertclassic.com/

After Sceaux, les contes d’Hoffmann will travel in other places in France, up to September

All information and reservation on : http://www.akouna.com/operaenpleinair/

Jardin du Luxembourg 75006 Paris, RER Luxembourg, main entrance Boulevard Saint-Michel, south entrance rue Auguste Comte, east entrance rue Guynemer, north entrances on rue de Vaugirard. Open everyday sunrise to sunset.

Parc de Sceaux RER B station Parc de Sceaux. Open everyday from sunrise to sunset. All information on http://www.pds92.net/parcdesceaux/accueil.htm