The 450 kg sculpture “The Ultimate metamorphosis of Thetis”  by Grégoire Scalabre is made of 70 000 miniature porcelain amphoras

Every year the awards ceremony of “Prix Liliane Bettencourt for the Intelligence of the hand” is a pure pleasure. This is where one discovers extraordinary young talents who will one day become stars of design or genius artisans… Last week, Françoise Bettencourt Meyers was seconded by the minister of Culture who talked about the importance of artisanat for the French government. With a jury presided by Jean de Loisy, a large sculpture made of 70 000 amphoras in ceramics by Grégoire Scalabre won in the “Exceptional talent” category. Anaïs Jarnoux, an upholsterer and designer Samuel Tomatis, won for their bag MS.86. Ulva, made in a seaweed fabric which is entirely biodegradable.  The seaweeds are collected on beaches in Brittany…

Hands are at the center of creativity, here Gregoire Scalabre’s

The association “l’Outil en main” (tool in hand) won for the work they do all year round with school children. The founder, Marie Pascale Ragueneau, had the idea thirty years ago to ask pensioners to teach their skills to young children on Wednesdays afternoon. The result is a fascinating association of carpenters and lace workers, metal carvers and cooks, painters and tapestry weavers… who spend time on a project with the kids. With 235 associations in 68 French departments, 5 500 volunteers and 3 500 nine year old students practice 150 different activities for three hours a week. Since 1994, the Liliane Bettencourt Prize has generated 123 talents who are now federated in an Association of glass workers, wood carvers, printers, glove makers, feather artists, gilders, musical instruments manufacturers… and communicate with each other on projects. Beyond the very generous money prizes, these artists are all connected and the word Intelligence of the hand is now being commonly used.

Rémy Pommeret, squirel, a charming ceramics sculpture

At the annual Salon de la Céramique contemporaine  C14-Paris, organized in the building adjacent to the 14 th arrondissement town hall built by Georges Sébille in 1933, 28 ceramics artists were showing their newest works in the magnificent building which also serves as the Conservatoire Darius Milhaud. I am being very unfair, but I noticed mostly two interesting artists, Rémy Pommeret, a graduate of Nancy’s University of Art and a student of Etienne Pressager, who creates whimsical animals in ceramics. At 27, he also teaches ceramics at Ecole des Beaux Arts de Paris. The other one, Florence Bruyas, was literally on stage with a large installation made of one thousand ceramics sparrows. “Les sans deuil” represents the eradication campaign ordered by Mao Ze Dong in China, in April 1958, to destroy millions of little birds whom he accused of eating the crops. Once they were killed, insects took over and ate all the crops. This resulted in a famine where 15 to 55 million human beings died of starvation. The artist’s point is to underlie the dangers of environmental equilibrium. Her sparrows are beautiful as a whole but can be acquired individually.

Florence Bruyas, “Les Sans deuil” with her installation of ceramics sparrows

In the meantime at la Sainte Chapelle, Bob Wilson was presenting a new “Gloria” with music by Richard Landry, to celebrate his fiftieth year of creations with Festival d’Automne. Philippe Bélaval, who runs le Centre des monuments nationaux (of which the wrapping of the Arc de triomphe by Christo was the major event in 2021), likes to associate contemporary creations with his old monuments. “The patrimony we admire today was at some point contemporary art” he said in his introduction and while French artist Theo Mercier will show “Outremonde” at la Conciergerie starting next October 13, Johan Creten will be exhibited next year.

Philippe Bélaval and Bob Wilson with two handsome assistants at la Sainte Chapelle

The music by Dickie Landry projected in all corners of the chapel by the sound designer Nick Sagar, was inspiring and spending a half hour in the semi darkness (some lightbulbs were out) of the chapel, was a very soothing moment. Dickie Landry is a long time collaborator of Bob Wilson’s and had his first concert at Leo Castelli‘s gallery in 1972. He already took part of the “Einstein on the Beach” project with Philip Glass and has worked many times with the American director. The text extracts from Lucretius’ “De Rerum Natura” read in French by three voices, a man, a woman and a child, was superfluous as far as I am concerned. But this is the best way to rediscover la Saint Chapelle’s magnificent windows. Make sure to go when the sun shines. “Gloria“, is aired every week end until December 31, duration 30 mns, 6 times a day.

The XIII th century chapel is mind blowing

And if you read French do not miss the new autobiographical book “Commencements” (beginnings), by Catherine Millet. You might remember the scandalous writer who admitted to having slept with thousands of men in “La vie sexuelle de Catherine M. ” (The Sexual Life of Catherine M. published by Serpent’s Tail). This latest book is fascinating  because the author was involved in the late 1960’s in the poetry and art world and narrates her initiation to love and literary life. Her style is beautiful and vivacious and her close association with gallerist Daniel Templon all these years gives a new light on the emergence of contemporary art in Paris. (Ed. Flammarion)

Catherine Millet’s new book is great fun