Paris Diary by Laure

New habits, new pleasures and lots to read.

parisdia8 March 2021Books, Fashion, Happy momentsLeave a Comment

Arthur Dreyfus in a YouTube interview in 2014 when he was 28

Everything has changed in our lives in the last year and one positive detail is that we have more time to read. This week I enjoyed reading at last, Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian’s biography of Tiger Woods and I was surprised at how excellent it is, even for non golfers. The golf champion was in an accident two weeks ago and seems more in danger than ever of not competing at his best again… I have been mesmerized by the few pages I read in the 2 300 page book by Arthur Dreyfus “Sexual journal of a young man of today” published by the very literary publishing house P.O.L and I was very disappointed by “The Man in the red Coat” by Julian Barnes, which is superficial and full of mistakes.Read More

Musical chairs in the museums

parisdia4 March 2021Architecture, ArtLeave a Comment

Jean François Hebert, new Directeur général des Patrimoines et de l’architecture

It all started with the departure of Jean François Hebert after eleven years spent as President of château de Fontainebleau. He was very much loved and renovated many parts of the castle including the theatre. He has been named Directeur Général des Patrimoines et de l’architecture which includes all public museums, archives and architecture including listed landscapes. To replace him, Marie Christine Labourdette, who is like him a graduate of l’ENA, former directeur des Musées de France (2008-2018) and presently President of Cité de l’Architecture at the Trocadero, will start on March 8.Read More

Three Ladies of the Arts have left us, a page is turning.

parisdia3 March 2021Art, Performing arts1 Comment

Yvonne Brunhammer was the director of MAD from 1986 to 1991

Yvonne Brunhammer, former director of Musée des Arts Décoratifs, died on February 27 at 93. She was the author of many books on artists and designers from the 1920’s, and she greatly influenced the conception of 20 th century decorative arts. Lise Toubon died on March 1 at 87. She was mostly known for being politician Jacques Toubon’s wife but as such she had a great influence on contemporary art in France in the 1980’s. She was an incredibly charismatic woman. Irène Ajer, great Priestess of theatre and music at the ministry of culture also died, on March 1 at 80. She was the inspiring character behind Jean Pierre Vincent, Patrice Chéreau, Ariane Mnouchkine in what she called the Ecole Française du Théâtre.

In Switzerland, museums open up today!

parisdia1 March 2021Art, PhotographyLeave a Comment

Previtali, Portrait of a young man with a black hat, early 16th century, Toulouse, Fondation Bemberg © RMN-Grand Palais | Fondation Bemberg | Mathieu Rabeau

In Lausanne the lovely Fondation de l’Hermitage is hosting an exhibition of 132 paintings and drawings from the Bemberg collection in Toulouse. In Martigny, just down from Verbier, Fondation Pierre Gianadda is showing photographer Michel Darbellay until June 13, when Caillebotte will at last be alive again thanks to Daniel Marchesseau’s curatorial talents. In Basel, Fondation Beyeler is showing a dialogue between Rodin and Arp until May 16 with an excellent video presentation on their website by Raphael Bouvier.Read More

Bamiyan, twenty years later.

parisdia25 February 2021Architecture, Art, PhotographyLeave a Comment

Archeologist Ria Ackin on the site of Bamiyan in the 1930’s,© Archives photographiques du MNAAG

You probably remember the traumatic destruction by the Taliban of the two monumental buddhas (38 m and 55 m high) in Bamiyan, Afghanistan on March 11, 2001. Just a few months before 9-11. To celebrate the anniversary of this tragic event, Musée Guimet has organized a small but charming exhibition with the different elements it owns from the diggings by archeologists Alfred Foucher, André Godard and Joseph and Ria Hackin who died at sea, exactly eighty years ago. Also exhibited as a panoramic, are a series of photographs (4 000 scanned images) and a 20 mn video by photographer Pascal Convert who travelled there in March 2016. Read More

Viallat is younger than ever at Templon

parisdia25 February 2021Art, Non classéLeave a Comment

Untitled n°171, 2020

Claude Viallat is at 84, one of the most famous painters in France and was part of “Supports surface”, a painting movement from the 1970’s. Represented by Leo Castelli in New York and Daniel Templon in Paris, he presents an exhibition of works made last year in his house of Nîmes. It is more than ever linked to this part of Provence where he was born and grew up (in Montpellier) and where his passion for tauromachy was developed. “Sutures et Varia” shows a number of pieces made with provençal fabric where his well known pattern is constantly present. It is an explosion of light and color that we need very much at the moment. Read More

At Christie’s, Man Ray reigns supreme on March 2

parisdia22 February 2021Art, Auction, Photography1 Comment

Lucien Treillard was combining two jobs, of teaching French and being assistant to Man Ray in Paris from 1960 to 1976. With his wife, Edmonde, they became the experts of the American artist and curated many shows of his works. Their collection of 188 lots, including 96 photographs and books illustrated by the master, is coming up for sale at Christie’s on March 2 and is visible from February 25 onwards on avenue Matignon.Read More

Empreintes celebrates craftworkers in the Marais

parisdia22 February 2021Art, Happy moments, PresentsLeave a Comment

Koh Sato, porcelain, 600€

As you know, I love spending a few hours wandering in the Marais and visiting the galleries I know but also discovering new shops every time. I ventured into Empreintes a design space located at 5 rue de Picardie, which opened a few years ago. On the ground floor little presents, earrings, ceramics, seem pleasant enough but nothing extra-ordinary. Once you climb the two floors above, you enter a world of creativity and discover artisans with a true talent. I realized what a treasure mine this place was when I saw the video of carpenter Stéphane Leroux repairing the roof of Manoir de Verdigné. He is one of the two laureates of the 2020 Prix des Concours d’atelier d’Art.