At La Maison Rouge, three great surprises…

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Annette Messager, The ghosts of the seamstresses, 2014-2015 , 54 elements in skaï and strings

I was worried that the Marin Karmitz collection at La Maison Rouge would be all black and white pictures devoted to the holocaust and I was wrong. When I entered the show, « Etranger résident » (Resident foreigner or legal alien ?), I fairly soon fell upon the Jean Dubuffet room : there, I fell in love with the show and went back to the beginning and through the black and white pictures again including the Swiss Gotthard Schuh one of Robert Frank’s master.Read More

Tokyo-Paris a long lasting love and a year of celebrations!

parisdiaArt, Furniture, Performing arts, Photography3 Comments

Pianist Gen Tomuro at France Amérique

When Richard Flahaut introduced pianist Gen Tomuro in the salons of France Amérique, he talked about the great understanding of music that the Japanese and the French share. And this young man who studied with Philippe Entremont and is finishing a masters in London, is proof of it. His program of Granados, Schumann, Poulenc and Stravinsky was absolutely delightful and his fingering fascinating to watch from close up. He will be playing in Japan in January but should be back to celebrate the Year of Japan in Paris, starting next July, which commemorates 150 years of French Japanese diplomatic relations.Read More

Marilyn Yalom, champion of the heart

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This medieval brooch from the British Museum is a the origin of the book

When I met Marilyn Yalom, twenty years ago, she was just publishing “A History of the Breast”, which started in the Middle Ages and ended with Madonna. A historian, very francophile and a contributor to the center for women’s studies at Stanford University, Marilyn has steadily published eight major books on women and death. She is married to the great San Franciso psychoanalyst, Irv Yalom, and is publishing this week « The Amorous heart, an unconventional History of love », on the love symbol. It is an erudite, beautiful and enticing read. Don’t wait for Valentine to buy it !Read More

Comte Ory sings at Opéra Comique and in Versailles

parisdiaPerforming arts

Comte Ory disguised as a hermit seduces the crowds, photo, Vincent Pontet

With this new production of “Comte Ory” by Gioachino Rossini, Théâtre National de l’Opéra comique proves that, after one year post-renovations, it has found its marks with its director Olivier Mantei. The work directed by a team from Comédie Française, Denis Podalydès, Eric Ruf and the magical Christian Lacroix for costumes, has been sold out for months. It will have two extra evenings at Versailles this month in the Théâtre Royal.Read More

Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noël, from Paris

parisdiaHappy moments6 Comments

The most wonderful Christmas tree in Paris is at Opera Garnier in the Foyer, photo rudi Fernandez Cardenas

I looked around Paris to find a pretty Christmas tree for you, all the hotels are lit in the most exquisite way but the most glamorous decor is certainly that of Opera Garnier where I heard a wonderful “Clemenzia de Tito” with Stéphanie d’Oustrac in Sesto and Ramon Vargas in Tito.  The Foyer has never looked so good!

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Art brut in Victor Hugo’s house, a true surprise

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August Klett, Heillbronn Sugar factory, March 23, 1991, Sammlung Prinzhorn, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg

Maison de Victor Hugo on Place des Vosges is dedicated to the history of the writer’s family and the exhibition “La folie en tête, aux racines de l’art brut” (to the roots of art brut) starts with photographs of his daughter Adèle and his brother Eugène who lived in asylums. At the end of the 19 th century, alienated patients as they are called, are invited to develop their art by a few psychiatrists who collect their paintings, drawings, embroideries. Adèle herself played the piano every day. The show which comprises 200 works, is based on four such collections in Switzerland, Scotland, Germany and France ant it is riveting.

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Slobodan Despot becomes a literary Casanova

parisdiaBooks1 Comment

Slobodan Despot, the conqueror, at Librairie Elbé, on bd Saint Germain

When I met Slobodan Despot a few months ago at editor Catherine Blanchard-Maneval’s house, I was immediately charmed by his frank manners and brilliant conversation. This young Swiss-Serb writer has published two books with Gallimard and was just awarded the Prix Casanova created by couturier Pierre Cardin for the best book written in French by a European.Read More