The show « Drawing now » has always been an easy way to find new artists. Over the years, when the contemporary drawing show was at the Louvre, I bought black and white drawings by Etienne Pressager and a burnt wood piece by South Corean artist Ji Eun Yoon. Now, it is taking place for the second time, at Carreau du Temple, … Read More
From craftsmanship to art
It was Palais de Tokyo again and its long waiting lines for the opening of « l’Usage des Formes », an exhibition curated by Gallien Déjean on similar themes as those of “le Prix de l’Intelligence de la Main” (Prize for Intelligence of the Hand) created 15 years ago by the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation. Young ladies dressed in black with big red … Read More
A Catalan shepherd is a painter in the Alps
Born near Morella in 1899 as Ancelmo Boix y Boix, Anselme Boix-Vives only started painting at the end of his life in 1962, after having emigrated at 18 to Moûtiers in the French Alps. From being a shepherd in Catalonia, he started a vegetable shop and became such a sound businessman that in 1956, he helped his son Laurent buy … Read More
La Folie Fornasetti
French lingerie designer Chantal Thomass was surrounded by « a million » Italian fashion journalists at the opening of Piero Fornasetti’s retrospective at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Barbara Baumel, who was for many years Guy Bourdin’s assistant and nannie, was laughing as always, with a group of very handsome men. And the atmosphere was electrical, as everyone was enjoying … Read More
To be Parisian in Lausanne
The Musée de l’Elysée in Lausanne is turning thirty, and so has its brand new director, Tatyana Franck, who took over last week from Sam Stourdzé, now the director of the Rencontres Internationales de photographie d’Arles. Famous around the world for its touring photo exhibitions, the Musée de L’Elysée is located in a beautiful 18 th century house overlooking Lake … Read More
Versailles’ hidden secrets
We were so early at Versailles for the opening of Charles de La Fosse’s first ever exhibition, that we decided to indulge in a couple of mojitos at D’Paris, the closest bar to the Cour d‘honneur, on the right hand side of the palace. The atmosphere there at 6 pm, is so different to that of the Château, that we … Read More
Jan Fabre’s mythical Congo
Daniel Templon has been around for a long time, almost fifty years actually, and he has never stopped surprising us. In the 70’s he was smart enough to open rue Beaubourg across the street from the brand new Pompidou Center, and he immediately became the “it gallerist”. In the 80’s, he was Leo Castelli’s champion in France, exhibiting all the … Read More
Le Petit Palais is not little anymore
With just 70 paintings of the Seicenti in Rome, the clever and dynamic director of le Petit Palais, Christophe Leribault, has managed to take over the Paris exhibition scene. And for this successful adventure he hired Pier Luigi Pizzi, whom we are most accustomed to seeing on opera stages. The result is spectacular.