Spring in Paris

~ My sojourns in France, 2010-2018

Spring in Paris

Tag Archives: art

More Paris Art

08 Friday Jun 2018

Posted by Robert Mack in art, Photos

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Afro, Afro Libio Basaldella, art, Canal d’Ourcq, Concert for a Fly, contemporary art, David Hockney, Ecoute, Galerie Béatrice Soulié, Galerie Lelong & Co., Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Gérard Cambon, Henry de Miller, Ilya and Emilia Kabakov, L'Opéra, L'Opéra Garnier, Marais, Nambia, parc de la Villette, Parc Monceau, Paris, Saint Eustache, street art, Tornabuoni

This statue, in front of Saint-Eustache, survived the five-year redevelopment of Les Halles. Click here for a pic of the work site from 2012 showing the head tenuously protected by barriers.

“Ecoute,” 1986, by Henry de Miller (1953-99), visible again in 2018

The gallery show that most strongly impressed me this year was of Afro Libio Basaldella (1912-1976), better known as “Afro,” at the Tornabuoni Art gallery in the Marais. The artist — who I hadn’t heard of — was born in Italy and worked there and in the U.S. One example is below, but if you like it please look at: [“Afro” Photo Set]

One of many excellent paintings by “Afro” at Tornabuoni Art Paris

Naturally I was interested in owning one of these excellent paintings! The price list was held behind the counter, but a gallerist offered to tell me the price of any specific work I was interested in. This one, for example, was priced at 4,900,000 euros. Negotiable, I’m sure, but still a bit rich for my blood.

These odd sculptures are from the imaginary country of “Nambia,” inspired by a bourde of Donald Trump.

« Nambias » by Gérard Cambon at Galerie Béatrice Soulié in the Latin Quarter

I was quite impressed by Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac in the Marais– not the art, which I didn’t find memorable until the top floor — but the gallery itself, which is a large and beautiful space.

Stunning circular stairway at Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac

I did respect, on the top floor, the reprise of a Palais de Tokyo show by Patrick Neu I had liked in 2015, and enjoyed a quirky little installation, which you’ll have to enlarge to fully appreciate:

Concert for a Fly, by Ilya and Emilia Kabakov, at Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac

A few weeks back I stumbled on the vernissage (opening party) for a David Hockney show at a newly opened branch of Galerie Lelong & Co. Some functionary tried to shoo me away because it hadn’t officially started but the gallery owner waved me in. #seniorprivilege

New branch of Galerie Lelong & Co. at 38 avenue Matignon

David Hockney show at Galerie Lelong & Co. with vernissage snacks. These are numbered reproductions of digital images Hockney creates on an iPad

I’ve many times appreciated the mostly-buried bicycle wheel at the back of this photo as I’ve strolled through the Parc de la Villette but this year is the first time I noticed the rest of the bicycle!

Buried bicycle parts in the Parc de la Villette

Street art in Batignolles

Apollo atop L’Opéra Garnier

19th Century Street Art in the Marais

21st Century Street Art along the Canal d’Ourcq

An artist and his model in Parc Monceau.

Mot du Jour: bourde. Blunder, boner, mishap.

Last Days with Andy

03 Sunday Jun 2018

Posted by Robert Mack in art, Experiences, Photos

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art, au-delà des limites, Beyond the Limits, contemporary art, decanting, Design et Nature, Egon Schiele, food porn, Galerie Vivienne, Hundertwasser, Il Tre, Klimt, La Grappe d'Or, La Régalade Conservatoire, L’Atelier des Lumières, meals, Montorgueil, Palais Royal, Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, Paris, Paris food porn, Passage des Panoramas, Passage Jouffroy, passages, Rosa Bonheur, Schiele

On Wednesday we went to one of the two immersive light exhibitions currently on view in Paris. Since I had previously seen Au dela des Limites, we went instead to the Klimt/Egon Schiele/Hundertwasser show at L’Atelier des Lumières. I thought this would be interesting because I like all three artists (yes, even the relatively obscure Hundertwasser). Both exhibitions use hundreds of video projectors managed by a massive computer system to create an immersive environment, with light projected on the walls and floor, as well as on visitors. This exhibition is made up of several shows, one mixing Klimt and Schiele, one on Hundertwasser and one that just plays with digital motifs.

Klimt show at L’Atelier des Lumières

Death at the Klimt Show at L’Atelier des Lumières

We both enjoyed this exhibition, but it’s different in several key respects from the other one:

  • This show is based on classic fine art, so at times it offers an intense shock of recognition. The other one has many lovely artistic elements, but all newly created by the developers.
  • The space is a former foundry, retaining many architectural elements. These can be interesting but also distracting. There also seem to be more awkwardly placed exit lights.
  • Basically the same video shows on all the walls at the same time, so you only move around to get a more interesting angle.
  • The video isn’t interactive.

Bottom line, if you can only see one go to L’Atelier des Lumières if you are strongly attracted to the artists, but go to Au dela des Limites if you want to have a more stunning immersive experience.

After the Klimt show we had reservations at La Régalade Conservatoire, which I had enjoyed earlier in this stay. So … stay tuned for more food porn!

We were ready for the restaurant with time to spare so I took us on a circuitous route, down rue d’Aboukir to see Design et Nature, the most famous taxidermy store in Paris that allows photography (Deyrolle does not).

Which is fiercer? At Design et Nature

Our preprandial walk continued to the nearby garden of the Palais Royale, then through the series of passages (covered arcades) that start with the 1823 Galerie Vivienne, continuing through the 1799 Passage des Panoramas and the 1836 Passage Jouffroy. We arrived just in time for our 7:30 reservation. We were the first patrons, but the restaurant quickly filled up. There was a bit of language confusion at the start, but otherwise I enjoyed the meal almost as much as my earlier one there.

My octopus appetizer at La Régalade Conservatoire

A waitress decanting a bottle of red for another table at La Régalade Conservatoire

Andy at La Régalade Conservatoire

My delicious strawberry rhubarb dessert at La Régalade Conservatoire

On Thursday morning we started with breakfast and people watching at La Grappe d’Or on rue des Petits Carreaux, which is the name for a segment of the same street between rue Montorogueil and my current rue Poissonière. I’m glad that Andy enjoys the passing show here as much as I do.

Breakfast and people watching at La Grappe d’Or on rue des Petits Carreaux

Andy had wanted to see the Catacombs, but they were closed due to a strike, so on Thursday we went instead to the other light show. We both enjoyed it, even though I had been before. Instead of posting separately I added our pics to my earlier post: Au dela des limites.

After the light show we walked up to the Parc des Buttes Chaumont and each enjoyed a beer at Rosa Bonheur.

The suspension bridge at Parc des Buttes-Chaumont

I was puzzled at first by the calmness and peacefulness of both park and ginguette, but then I realized that I have always been there on Sunday, when the park is filled with families and the bar is filled, by early afternoon, with gay men.

We had a quick Italian dinner at Il Tre and made it an early evening since Andy had to be up at the crack of dawn the next morning to catch his flights back home. It was a pleasure to explore Paris again with him, and we agreed that next time he should plan to stay longer!

Ateliers d’Artistes de Belleville

02 Saturday Jun 2018

Posted by Robert Mack in art, Experiences, Photos

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Andy, art, Ateliers d'Artistes de Belleville, Belleville, Belleville Open Studios, contemporary art, Jean-Christophe Adenis, João Ferreira, Open Studios, Paris, quartier populaire, Sophie Herszkowicz, street art

On Sunday and again on Monday Andy and I spent most of the day wandering around Belleville, visiting art studios and galleries during the four-day Belleville Open Studios, which takes place each year around the end of May. I had enjoyed this event in 2011 and 2015, though I had never engaged with it as deeply as we did this year.

On Sunday after brunch we walked over to Belleville, getting a map at the first studio we noticed (by its balloons), then wending our way up to the Ateliers d’Artistes de Belleville (AAB) gallery at 1 rue Picabia (M° Couronnes). At the main gallery we looked at samples by each artist and circled the studios we wanted to visit. We had to do this to organize our walk since over one hundred locations are listed, several showing work by half a dozen artists! But we also looked in on all the studios along our route, whether circled or not; we realized that we enjoyed the ones we hadn’t circled about as much as the ones we had, but it was still worth using the selected studios to organize our path.

It’s hard to pick favorites among so many interesting artists, but here are a few that one or both of us really liked:

I liked several witty and/or trenchant sculptures by João Ferreira, in a group show in the Crypte de l’Eglise Notre Dame de la Croix, which was also outstanding in 2015.

One of several sculptures by João Ferreira

I really liked the realistic Paris paintings of Jean-Christophe Adenis. So much that I would have purchased his painting from the main gallery for 45 euros if it hadn’t already sold. But when we caught up with him in person he asked 200 euros for other works of the same size. Not unreasonable, but I wasn’t quite prepared to spend that much (even though I did the next day for a cute three-dimensional work from another artist).

Small paintings by Jean-Christophe Adenis

Andy and I both liked the studio of Sophie Herszkowicz. I may actually go back and buy one of her smaller paintings.

Paintings by Sophie Herszkowicz of her studio

Our favorite, however, was the show of kinetic artwork by Laurent Debraux at Galerie Eko Sato. This still picture gives only an idea of the variety:

Kinetic sculptures by Laurent Debraux at Galerie Eko Sato

This video gives you a somewhat better idea of this highly recommended exhibition:

Here’s the link to my full photo set, starting with some vivid Belleville street art we saw along the way, and including additional works by most of the artists mentioned: https://photos.app.goo.gl/qtwx5ec67DYJA1Aw2

We ended up getting to nearly all of the circled galleries before running out of time and energy.  The project was a very satisfying way to start Andy’s visit. Not only did we see a lot of fascinating art (diluted but not obscured by the inevitable mediocre stuff), but we explored a lively and non-touristy quartier populaire, got to see the insides of many artist studios and apartments, and met some nice and interesting people. It may in fact be the most-non-touristy beginning to any of my guest visits!

Update: Here’s a photo set that includes more Belleville Art: Art of Belleville, Paris

Mot du jour: quartier populaire. Lisa explained earlier in my stay that this means a neighborhood of down to earth folks, i.e. workers, artists, unemployed people and other not-rich citizens. Like Belleville!

Flashing Invaders

01 Friday Jun 2018

Posted by Robert Mack in art, Experiences, Photos

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art, Brian, contemporary art, Invader, Mr Djoul, Sheila, Space Invader, street art, Vetements

In 2016 Omar introduced me to the street art of Invader, and to the FlashInvaders app that lets you track (and confirm) your finds. Last year I found four of the 138 Space Invaders in Tokyo, and this year I have continued to spot more of the 1,285 in Paris.

While I’m now up to 42 Paris Space Invaders I still have a long way to go!

Scary!

The iconic form is the original pixellated space invader icon

Mario has a nice resonance with the colors of the Pompidou Center.

Most are small and relatively easy to miss.

I was proud to notice this tiny guy…

… until he turned out to be a copycat, Mr Djoul.

Update: While I remain loyal to Invader I have to admit that Mr Djoul’s street art can be rather appealing, and sometimes makes a witty commentary on an adjacent Space Invader. He often uses the alien shown above, frequently puts his squares on the diagonal (unlike Invader), and always signs his work. He’s a copycat, but a classy one.

After I mentioned my Invader hunt to Brian and Sheila they proved to be alert Invader spotters. In their last few days in Paris they send me snaps of half a dozen sitings, most of which I’ve since been able to confirm.

Space Invaders is just a game for me, but Invader has become a serious player in the art world.

Those are Invader prints behind this Vetements model

Update: Here’s a photo set that includes a few relevant images: Paris Street Art: Invaders, Etc.

Pâtes Vivantes and Le Petit Palais

01 Friday Jun 2018

Posted by Robert Mack in art, Experiences, Photos

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art, fine art, Le Petit Palais, Les Pâtes Vivants, love locks, meals, Petit Palais, Pont Alexandre III

Last week I finished my Strasbourg posts on Tuesday, then on Wednesday, after doing some wandering, I had dinner with Jason, who I had met at the Ivy League event the previous week. We ate at Les Pâtes Vivantes on rue de Turbigo. I had walked past the restaurant many times but never thought of going in, perhaps because the idea of “living noodles” weirded me out a bit. Actually, the name reflects the fact that they make their noodles by hand. The food was quite good even though the service left a bit to be desired.

Dinner with Jason at Les Pâtes Vivantes.

On Wednesday I visited the Petit Palace, approaching via the most beautiful bridge in Paris (quite possibly the world), the Pont Alexandre III.

Pont Alexandre III and le Petit Palais

Pont Alexandre III (detail)

Love locks rashly entrusted to the hand of a callow youth on Pont Alexandre III

The Petit Palais is little only in comparison to the Grand Palais, which is even grander.

The grounds of le Petit Palais

The entrance hall of the Petit Palais.

The art works in the Petit Palais are in general less fabulous than those in the Louvre or the Musée d’Orsay, or various other Paris art galleries. Most are 19th and early 20th century realist paintings, which were left in the dust by impressionism, not to mention the even more radical artistic movements of the 20th century. I nevertheless found the collection interesting, and it was certainly value for money, since there’s no admission charge.

This painting of a homeless family is unfortunately as timely now as it was 135 years ago.

Ferdinand Pelez, sans asile, 1883

I’m always fond of Bonnard, and this little painting is no exception.

Pierre Bonnard, Jeunes filles à la mouette (seagull), 1917

I’m also fond of cuddling, which is nicely evoked by this Rodin sculpture.

Auguste Rodin, Amour et Psyché, 1885 (detail)

My crossword puzzle friends will be as thrilled as I was to see a real-life etui!

The Petit Palais also has a lovely garden with a café

Strasbourg with Zhizhong

23 Wednesday May 2018

Posted by Robert Mack in art, Experiences, Photos

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art, contemporary art, Gérard David, Grande-Île, Hervé Bohnert, La Petite France, Saint Sébastien, Saint Sebastian, Strasbourg, strikes, TGV, train, train à grande vitesse

One of the delights of my second petit séjour, in 2011, was a long weekend trip to Strasbourg and Colmar with Jacques. Last Monday was a jour férié (a national holiday), so Zhizhong proposed a trip to take advantage of the three-day weekend. We had made a four-day road trip to Normandy and Brittany in 2014, so we’re seasoned traveling companions. We kicked around several options, but Zhizhong had never been to Strasbourg, and I remembered it fondly, so we decided to go there by train.

Train travel in France is a mixed blessing. The TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse or Very Fast Train, pronounced tay ghay vay) is quite fast (if not perhaps up to Chinese standards), and quite comfortable. The problem is that trains are subject to strikes, which are happening with a vengeance this year. To the credit of the unions, they announce in advance which days will be affected, and at this stage are striking only two days out of five. Saturday, when we wanted to go to Strasbourg, was a strike day, but Monday, when we planned to return, was not. The strikes only affect certain trains, so I was pleased to be able to reserve the train we wanted for Saturday morning. Then I got an email saying that it was cancelled! Then I got another email saying that it had been restored! It left on schedule and all was well. Ironically, the real issue we had was with the return train, which actually was cancelled (supprimé), for unstated reasons. Fortunately the next TGV was just an hour later and we were bumped up to first class (albeit barely distinguishable from second class). The trips took only 1 hour 50 minutes, half an hour less than in 2011. The bottom line was just fine, apart from a bit of anxiety and a bit of delay.

Strasbourg Station

It was a short walk from the station to our hotel, and another short walk over to the magnificent cathedral. The crowds discouraged us from visiting it, but there are lots of pictures in my 2011 Strasbourg photo set. The cathedral and our hotel were both in the old city, called Grande-Île because it’s encircled by water (the river Ill one one side and a canal on the other).

Strasbourg Cathedral is majestic

The cathedral dominates much of Grande-Île

Our first evening, we wanted to get away from the tourist center to find a more local restaurant. Fortunately, Zhizhong did some research and found the Krutenau neighborhood near the university, south-east of Grande-Île. We enjoyed walking around it and found some interesting areas on our way to an excellent meal.

We stumbled across this ephemeral bar in the Krutenau neighborhood

The ephemeral bar included a contemporary art exhibit. This was by Hervé Bohnert.

On Sunday we visited the fine arts museum, which shares the Hôtel de Rohan, across from the cathedral, with several other museums. Strasbourg has a respectable regional collection, with a particular strength in Dutch realism. It does seem, however, as if someone skimmed the cream and took it off to Paris. The best pieces — except for a single good Corot — are either anonymous or from the studio of a well known painter.

My favorite piece from the Strasbourg Fine Arts Museum. Atelier de Gérard David, La Vierge à la Soupe au Lait.

Detail from La Vierge à la Soupe au Lait shows how detailed it is.

Zhizhong’s favorite piece. Giovanni Battista, Saint Sébastien.

A clever contemporary installation of packaged foods juxtaposed with farm-fresh still lives

As always, we enjoyed exploring the various neighborhoods of the city.

This was as hard to interpret in person as in the photo

A bucolic view from the botanical gardens

Place Broglie with classical rows of pollarded trees

I didn’t realize that Alsace was famous for nougat, or that it came in such enormous wheels.

Some of the most iconic views of Strasbourg are along its canals. The densest concentration of them is called La Petite-France.

La Petite-France viewed from the Barrage Vauban

A stroll along the banks of Grande-Île at evening

An iconic view of one of Strasbourg’s canals

But wait, didn’t we have any meals in Strasbourg? Yes we did!  Up next…

Update: Here’s a photo set with full-size versions of all the photos from my 2018 trip to Strasbourg: Strasbourg 2018 with Zhizhong

Mot du jour: grève, strike.

Mid-Course

22 Tuesday May 2018

Posted by Robert Mack in art, Experiences, Musings, Photos

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Alcohol, apartments, art, Bob Seeman, drinking, food, galette, grêle, hail, L'Equipe Poster, meals, Paris, street art, Theseus, weather

The midpoint of my stay is a good time to look at how the trip has been, and what my goals are for my remaining time here.

The dominant theme of the trip has been — and with the arrival of my nephew next weekend will continue to be — family. While this is very different from prior years, I’ve come to realize, as I explored in my previous post, that time with family and friends, while it dilutes my engagement with the place, can itself be every bit as rewarding as being a solitary flâneur.

The difference shouldn’t be overemphasized, since spending time with friends has always been a facet of my petits séjours. For example, I’ve caught up with Bob Seeman, almost every year.

2018 Lunch at le Rusti with Bob Seeman and fellow doctor Faouzi Madi

Bob and I have known each other for around twenty years, while I’ve known my cousin Jackie since we were children. That makes a difference, but in both cases we’ve had a chance to become intimate friends over a substantial portion of a lifetime. The main difference is that Jackie and I shared an apartment for ten days (and have gotten together several times since), while I normally just catch up with Bob for a meal. That pattern isn’t fundamentally different from prior years, though, since I’ve always had friends staying with me for around a week. It just happens this year that my housemates will mostly be family.

Food has been an important and satisfactory part of the trip, as always. I’ve posted “food porn” from some of my fancier meals — and there’s more to come from Strasbourg — but I’ve also enjoyed more modest meals, either at home with my cousins in the 15ème, or at familiar local restaurants in the 2ème. The dishes shown below are from places just a few doors down on my street, and there are a dozen comparable options within a couple of blocks.

Perfect tuna galette from Delices de la Lune, 38 rue Poissionière

Shrimp noodle dish from Woking, 32 rue Poissionière

The closest thing to an art museum I’ve been to in Paris was the astounding au dela de les limites exhibition, but I’ve visited several galleries and appreciated lots of street art. One resolution is to take in even more art in the latter part of my stay.

Street art in Paris

The gallerist at Galerie Jacques Lévy (very probably the eponymous owner) refused permission for me to post pics, but I invite you to take a look at the works of Olivier Marty currently on view there.

The weather was terrible the day I arrived, then got steadily better over the ten days I spent in the 15ème. About the time I moved to my own place it got wet and cold again and stayed that way for the first week. Last weekend was quite nice in Strasbourg but all afternoon today there have been thunderstorms (with hail!). Update: I enjoyed the dramatic hailstorm from the comfort and safety of my apartment, but I had no idea that elsewhere in the city there was flooding and dense accumulations of hailstones on the streets!

My French is pretty much stalled, but I nevertheless enjoy deciphering cultural references and picking up on jeux de mots.

« Aïe ou hante English » (Hint: say it out loud.)

« Mais oui tu es beau ! » More or less…

This poster in the métro is a veritable mine of up-to-the-minute cultural information. I can more or less parse out most of the links, but I’m sure I’m missing many funny references.

A chart demonstrating that basically everything points to a sport, and all sports point to L’Equipe magazine.

The handwriting that looks like graffiti is actually part of the joke. For example: “mamie Ginette is sweet. She makes us cookies. But one doesn’t much like it when she kisses us on the cheeks because she scratches.”

I didn’t walk quite as much as usual during the first part of the month, in part because you simply can’t move that fast when you’re traveling with a four-year-old (even when she’s on a scooter). But Zhizhong and I walked all over Strasbourg, so when that’s factored in I’m now right at my usual Paris average of seven miles a day.

Alcohol has always been a substantial part of my Paris stays, but this year my consumption has been a lot less than usual. Jackie, Zhizhong and “Theseus” don’t drink at all, and as a mother of a young child Lisa now drinks even more moderately than before. I’ve usually managed a glass of wine or beer with dinner, and sometimes found an excuse for an extra drink, but have only once or twice exceeded the approved level of two drinks a day (which was occasionally exceeded many times over in prior years). It’s still possible that I may fall under the influence of hard-drinking family or friends, but so far I’ve been surprisingly sober.

I’ve often met guys on “social media” apps during my stays here. Two years ago, the last time I was here, Omar made an outstanding contribution to my visit. This year I’ve only met one guy, who I’ll call Theseus. He’s a 22-year-old student, of Chinese ethnicity, very fit and cute. He’s been my dining companion on several occasions where the blog has mentioned a “we” without a name. He’s forbidden me to post his photo or further information, and this is only one of several mismatches between our values and goals. He’s been an attractive and mostly agreeable companion on several occasions, despite our really irreconcilable differences.

Overall I’ve had a good time this year. Both apartments have been wonderful, despite the minor issues with my current place. The shift from adventure to coziness has continued, but there have been a few peak experiences and many rich and intimate conversations.

June 11, when I leave, will be my earliest departure since the first year, 2010, when I stayed for April and May. So many cool things are scheduled for the remainder of June that I looked into extending my stay another two weeks. Changing my Delta/Air France ticket would be punishingly expensive but abandoning that reservation and coming home on a one-way Norwegian ticket would be reasonable. My current host would let me extend at the discounted monthly rate until June 20, but she has other guests then so I would have to get another place for the last week. Ultimately, however, responsibilities and opportunities back home caused me to stick with the original schedule. Another year, however, I will stay at least until afterla fête de la musiqueon June 21, and perhaps through Paris gay pride, this year on June 30.

Mot du jour: beue. Not in Larousse, but Google shows it as patois picard for boue, i.e. mud.

Bonus Mot du jour: grêle, hail.

Beyond the Limits

18 Friday May 2018

Posted by Robert Mack in art, Experiences, Photos

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art, au-delà des limites, Borderless, contemporary art, Paris, teamLab

Wednesday was a relatively quiet day, catching up on my blog and eating at modest familiar places in the rue Montorgueil neighborhood. Thursday I was called on to help friends and family with technical and literary issues, while also attending an interesting Ivy League LGBT reception that evening.  The highlight, however, was my visit to an extraordinary exhibition in the Great Hall of La Villette, a former abattoir in the north-east corner of Paris. The show, called au-delà des limites (Beyond the Limits) was created by teamLab, a Japan-based collaborative of artists, programmers, engineers, 3D animators, mathematicians and architects. It’s hard to describe this astounding exhibit so I’ll show you some photos and videos first, then try to characterize the experience. (I see subsequently that the new Tokyo museum by the same group is called “Borderless” so possibly that’s their preferred translation.)

Room A – teamLab : au-delà des limites

Room A – teamLab : au-delà des limites




Room G – teamLab : au-delà des limites

Room G – teamLab : au-delà des limites



These astounding spaces are created by a massive array of computer-controlled digital projectors. You don’t just look at these images, you are immersed in them. My videos are dim, but in the exhibit the colors are brilliant. Moreover, as you can see in a few clips, most of the images are interactive: they change as you walk or if you touch the wall on which they are projected. One way to think about the experience is a form of shared virtual reality. Instead of each person having their own personal goggles all the visitors share the same visual and aural hallucination. Beyond the technical brilliance the images and sounds are simply gorgeous, and ever changing. When you enter this space you have stepped into the minds of an extremely creative and generous team of artists.

The exhibition is on through September 9, 2018. I can’t recommend it too highly.

Update: I took my nephew Andy to the exhibition on his last day in Paris, and he also enjoyed it.

Andy’s white tee was perfect for Room B

Kids basking on the colorful floor of Room A

Bob staying dry under the waterfall in Room G

Andy taking a pic in Room F

Andy enjoying Room C

Bob relaxing in Room A

Friends and Family

08 Tuesday May 2018

Posted by Robert Mack in Experiences, Photos

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Arooshee, art, Aya, contemporary art, Jackie, Lisa, Metro, Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, Parc Zoologique de Paris, Paris, Rosa Bonheur, temple de la Sibylle, weather, zoo

The gorgeous weather has continued: sunny and warm during the day and pleasantly cool at night. One of the best runs of fine weather of any of my Paris stays! The rhythm and energy of our household has been the main theme, except for Sunday afternoon, when I went my own way.

On Friday Lisa and Aya visited friends so Jackie and I had dinner at a Lebanese restaurant which I found on The Fork — with a 50% discount! It was about a mile away but we both enjoy walking so we strolled over and back. Not only did we get a good meal but we took home enough leftovers for Saturday lunch, after which we checked out the Salon de Montrouge, an annual contemporary art show that I have enjoyed in prior years. It was about half the size of the 2016 exhibition, but enough art for the time and energy we had.

Jackie and Bob reflected in “Your Infinity” by Roland Burkart at the 2018 Salon de Montrouge

That evening we hosted Ali for dinner. Lisa and I had seen him on several casual occasions this trip, but it was a particular pleasure to join him for a proper event. Our conversation was trenchant and engaging as always!

Bob, Ali, Aya and Lisa at our dinner party. Photo credit, Jackie.

The fruit tart which I slaved over a hot cash register for several minutes to acquire.

Sunday was so lovely that I took the métro up to the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, one of my favorite spots in fine weather. The trip was from one corner of Paris to the other, so it required three subway legs. The last one, on the funny little 7 bis line, was the most amusing, since almost everyone was more or less obviously heading for the same place.

Sunbathers enjoying a perfect day at the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont

Bob at The Temple de la Sibylle, in the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont

Exploring the park was thirsty work, so I stopped by Rosa Bonheur for a beer (or two). As always on a fine Sunday afternoon, the always-mixed crowed tilted in a decidedly gay male direction by 4 pm, when the barriers went up to limit the size of the crowd. I have sometimes had wonderful conversations there, but it’s hit or miss and this afternoon I was more of a sightseer than a participant.

Boys, and girls, on a Sunday afternoon at Rosa Bonheur

Through a mutual friend I had met Arooshee, a junior at University of Michigan who is finishing a semester in Paris. We met that evening for dinner, at Phở 14 in the 13ème, with her college roommate, who had just arrived to join her on a whirlwind European tour.

Dinner in the 13ème at Phở 14

Jackie had business to attend to on Monday, so Lisa and Aya and I went over to the fully modernized little zoo in the Parc de Vincennes. The highlight for Aya was the lions, and by happy chance she was able to turn into one herself!

The zoo features big outdoor enclosures that allow the larger animals to roam around, rather than being confined in cages. I heartily approve, although this can also make it hard to get good photos. As it happened, Aya was more interested in an indoor giraffe than the fourteen others that were outside.

Over the next two days we will wrap up our stay together in the 15ème and I will move to my own Airbnb in the 2ème. While I’ll be living alone for a while plans are afoot with Zhizhong and with my cousin Brian and his wife Sheila, so I won’t be lonely.

Last Days

30 Thursday Jun 2016

Posted by Robert Mack in art, Experiences, Musings, Photos

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art, contemporary art, France, Guillaume, MAC-VAL, meals, Paris, Vitry-sur-Seine, Zhizhong

My last few days this year — Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday — were more of a denouement than a peak. I had no house guests, and my only social events were a play and an impromptu dinner party at my apartment on Wednesday night. I did see two good art museums, but mostly just walked around, did a lot of blogging and reading, bought a few gifties, finally sent my postcards, etc. I have often remarked that a trip is too short if you aren’t ready when it’s time to go home; this year I’m ready.

My first art outing was to the Grand Palais to see their Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso show: discussed in my previous post.

On Wednesday I trekked out to yet another banlieue, Vitry-sur-Seine, to see (for the first time) the contemporary art museum of Val de Marne, MAC-VAL. It takes a solid hour to get there, the first half on the métro and the second half by bus. I learned by harsh experience that you don’t buy a ticket to Vitry-sur-Seine — that works only on the métro and RER — you just use one normal métro ticket for each leg of the journey. I’ll put up a photo set eventually, but here’s a clip of one of my favorite pieces:

Wednesday evening Zhizhong and I saw a student production, Dom Juan 2016, at the charming Théâtre Adyar in the 7ème. The students themselves were very easy on the eyes, and their energy and intensity was admirable, but both Zhizhong and I found the French challenging. We could follow the overall concept but the details and jokes were often lost on us. After the show we met up with Guillaume and pulled together a last-minute dinner at my apartment. I’m happy to report that at the end of the evening I was still sober enough to stagger the length of the apartment into bed.

Zhizhong and Guillaume at an impromptu dinner at my 2016 apartment, on my last night in Paris!

Zhizhong and Guillaume at an impromptu dinner at my 2016 apartment, on my last night in Paris!

Thursday morning I cleaned, packed, and — for you, gentle reader — blogged.

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