An Artful Washing Line

I came across the work of artists Levalet and Philippe Hérard on Rue Veron in the 18th arrondissement of Paris completely by chance. I had decided to get out at Pigalle Metro station, one stop before my usual stop, Abbesses. The walk home is a little further, but it avoids being squashed up with a gazillion other commuters in a giant Metro lift. I wasn't in the mood for that.

I walked towards home along Rue Veron. The first piece of artwork I noticed was this one.

Then this one ...

I then started to look further and realised that there was a washing line of sorts along the whole length of the street, on both sides.

It was getting dark so I wasn't able to take such good photos, so I went back a few days later on a sunny day and took some more. I love the work of these artists. I love the gentle humour, and poetic nostalgia. I love the attention to detail, the artists have even painted shadows on the wall beneath the images which have been stuck on the walls..

Some saucisson sec anybody?

I think a witch may live at No. 26.

Maybe a ghost lives here, only the shadows can be seen.

An elephant.

A flipper. Why not?

A skate board and a brassiere at No. 23.



False teeth (!!!) and some bloomers.

And a bat, of course.



There was an exhibition of Levalet and Hérard's work at the Joël Knafo Art gallery at 21 Rue Veron. I missed the exhibition which is now finished, but I think the washing line will be around for a while.

Enjoy!

Felice Varini at La Villette

Born in 1952, Felice Varini is a Swiss artist based in Paris. He is known for his geometric perspective-localised paintings on buildings, streets, rooms and other architectural spaces. He uses projectors and stencils to achieve these amazing works. He has an exhibition at La Villette at he moment. Three of the pieces are in the Paul-Delouvrier gallery. Entry is free. When we was there last Wednesday afternoon there were very few people and we were able to spend time finding the 'right spot' to see the completed forms. 

This is the first one you see when you first enter the Paul-Delouvrier gallery. Fragmented.

Complete.



Blue picture frames. Fragmented.



Complete (well almost ... ahem).



Fragmented.



Complete.

I was with my 10 year old son and he really enjoyed finding the right place to stand, though he was a little short to get it spot on all the time. For this one in the arcade of the east gallery of La Grande Halle, however, he was able to. Maybe the huge scale if it allowed a bit of 'give'.

So clever! 

The exhibition runs until 13th September 2015. More information on the exhibition can be found here.

Monumenta 2014: The Strange City

Monumenta is a contemporary art exhibition held at the Grand Palais every summer. An artist is invited to present a work of art especially conceived for the beautiful and grandiose space. This art initiative has been taking place since 2007 and, with the exception of 2013, has been held every year since. If nothing else it is a chance to get inside the Grand Palais and admire the extraordinary glass roof and gigantic space. Be warned, you will be feel tiny and insignificant as you walk around. Kids love it, it's as if the world has become their oyster.

This year the artists Emilia et Ilya Kabakov, Soviet born American conceptual artists, presented their installation 'The Strange City'. 

As you walk into the space you are greeted with a giant speaker that pulsates gently, changing colour, from red...

To green...

To blue...

To purple.

I'm guessing that the Kabakovs got inspiration from the roof structure in the design of the giant speakers.

The visitor is invited to lose themselves in 'The Strange City'. I was reminded of Cyclades architecture.

There is a gallery on the western side of the space which is a good place to get an idea of what's actually going on. 

Plus you get a fantastic view of some of the iron work details of the Grand Palais.






The stairs going up the the gallery are majestic.






In the exhibition there are seven different 'pods' with paintings and models inside, expressing the notion of utopia. This was my favourite, 'How to Meet an Angel'.



A perfect day out, for all sorts.



For more photos of the Monumenta 2014 Exhibition and the Grand Palais go here.

For photos of Monumenta 2012 go here.

For practical information about visiting the Monumenta 2014 exhibition, go here.

Face Lifted Folies

Back in February when it was still raining a lot we had a day when the skies were clear, and there was a low-in-the-sky wintery sun. It was time to go out, have a walk and soak up some vitamin D as best we could. We had no particular plan, but ended up a little off our usual beaten track in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. We turned left down a typical but unremarkable Parisian side road and suddenly came upon this magnificent sight.

The Folies Bergère is one of the most prestigious music halls in the world. It first opened in 1869 as an opera house but was initially called Les Folies Trévise. During the Franco-Prussian war (1870-71), the theatre was temporarily closed and used for political meetings instead. On reopening the theatre was renamed Les Folies Bergère. The Duc de Trévise was worried that he might be associated with the dance hall and formally requested that the name be changed. It returned to theatrical glory after the war and between 1890 and the 1920s it thrived. In 1928 the original glazed facade of the theatre was replaced with Art Déco gilded frescos, by the sculptor Maurice Picaud.

By the beginning of the 21st century Les Folies Bergère was falling into a state of disrepair. The Zinc roof needed replacing, there was leaks and resulting damage inside the building. At the end of 2011 Jean-Marc Dumontet, a business man and theatre producer, bought the lease to the theatre and instigated a huge renovation programme at a cost of about 5 million euros. The renovations included re-gilding the beautiful art Art Déco frescoes. They are stunning!

I love all the Art Déco details.

Not to mention the Art Déco font.

Inside is very elaborate. Here is the entrance.

We didn't go right into the theatre but did manage to take a peek at the secondary entrance hall. To say it is over the top is an understatement.

Here is the café across the road. I love what they do with the chairs during the winter months. 

It is the gilded frescos that I like the best. Utterly gorgeous. They even inspired me to have a play with some pattern design. What do you think?