How fun would it be to have a field trip at the Georges Pompidou Centre in Paris analyzing Matisse et al? Very.

The French version of Big Brother is actually Small Brother…..seen in Paris today. LOL

No wonder Van Gogh hung around Provence.

Erasable Graffiti seen in Honfleur, France.

This photo’s from an art exhibit (sculptures and paintings) we went to called, “Terre, Arbres & Forêts” (Earth, Trees & Forests) – artwork by artist/filmmaker Vincent Lajarige. This is one of the coolest venues for an exhibition held inside the Chapelle Sainte-Anne in Arles.

Fashion designer, Issey Miyake, has created the fourth annual limited edition designer bottle for Evian. The bright, simple flower aims to be the embodiment of Evian’s message and tagline: “Live young.” There have been other editions by designers Christian Lacroix and Jean Paul Gaultier but I especially liked last year’s design from Paul Smith. The Issey Miyake Limited Edition Evian bottle is now available for pre-sale at the Evian store.

Video for this year’s designer Evian bottle is above.

via

Several funky, modern, manga-inspired sculptures by notable Japanese artist Takashi Murakami (also responsible for these Louis Vuitton designs) are now rubbing elbows with the relics of Versailles. The show stopper, supposedly, is “Miss ko2,” a racy piece gracing the entrance to the Hall of Mirrors. The exhibition runs until December 12, 2010.

Exhibition by Takashi Murakami in the Chateau de Versailles
14 September to 12 December 2010
Château de Versailles
Grand Apartment and Hall of mirrors, included in the tour of the Grand Apartment
Place d’Armes – 78000 Versailles

To open the festival dedicated to Impressionism in Rouen, 1,250 people held large fragments of a reproduction of a Claude Monet masterpiece (La Cathédrale de Rouen, effet de soleil, fin de journée) above their heads yesterday in an attempt to create the world’s biggest live Impressionist painting. Neat! Watch the video by clicking on the image.

Who can blame the car rental company, Sixt, for poking fun at Sarkozy’s height? In this German ad, it says, “Do like Ms. Bruni. Get a small French (one).”

Seen on a sidewalk in Paris. Our story: it’s a message from an anglophone to a French lover. Now, hopefully that person can read English. If not, here’s what it says, Oui, t’était un bon coup au lit.

From: newser:

Some 33 years after the last head rolled in France, the guillotine is back—as a cutting-edge display item in a Paris museum exhibit about crime and punishment. The former instrument of death was displayed at the request of Robert Badinter, the politician who ended the death penalty in France, who was thrilled to see his “old enemy” reduced to a museum object.

But with France currently facing overcrowded prisons and high rates of recidivism, not everyone shares Badinter’s view. “I think it’s a shame this stops at 1981,” one museum visitor told the Guardian. The 14-foot device had a long tradition in France, from the rolling heads of 18th-century revolutionaries to the final guillotine execution, in 1977, of convicted murderer-rapist Hamida Djandoubi in Marseille.

[via]

Musée d’Orsay
Exhibition: Crime & Punishment
16 March – 27 June 2010
Admission: € 8
Musée d’Orsay entrance:
1, rue de la Légion d’Honneur
75007 Paris France
Telephone: +33 (0)1 40 49 48 14

Please note that some of the pieces presented in the exhibition may be shocking to some visitors (particularly children).

From the telegraph:

^{Photo from AFP}

The 15th-century alabaster statues – considered treasures of medieval Europe – have never before left the city of Dijon, where they march perpetually around the base of the tomb of John the Fearless and his wife Margaret of Bavaria.

Now they can be seen walking two-by-two down a plain catwalk in the heart of the Met in the exhibition The Mourners: Medieval Tomb Sculptures from the Court of Burgundy.

Carved over a 25-year-period by Jean de la Huerta and Antoine le Moiturier, each statue represents a mourner – mostly ecclesiastical figures such as a bishop, a choirboy and rows of monks from the Carthusian order.

In their normal setting in Dijon they are only partially seen, as they are positioned between miniature Gothic arches lacing the base of the wealthy and powerful couple’s black marble tomb…

Read the full article

Just next to Madonna in Paris, is this adorable rendition of Einstein, carrying a sign, “Love is the answer.”

I saw this street art of an Andy Warholesque hommage to Madonna, and thought I’d share. Photo taken in the Latin Quarter, Paris.

The grace and beauty of window design in France never ceases to amaze me all year long. But with Christmas being one of my favorite times of year, I MUST get out to see the festive displays. This is when true artistry emerges. The beautiful window display below is from Fabrice Gillotte, who happens to be a MOF of chocolate. Not only is he a master of his craft, his stuff is cute! And different. I LOVE his Santa.

Fabrice Gillotte, Chocolatier
21, rue du Bourg
21000 Dijon
Telephone +33(0)3 80 30 38 88

Couple Embracing

Evian releases a limited edition bottle annually, and this year’s contribution is from British designer Paul Smith. I like the colorful and light-hearted edition with five different color bottle caps, and I definitely appreciate that it’s not plastic.

The bottles are not available to purchase at the moment but will be during the holidays.

Paul Smith for Evian – video.

via

From AP:

Paris’ Picasso Museum is closing its doors for renovations, spiriting away its masterpieces under high security to government warehouses for more than two years while seeking to expand the much-visited but cramped site.

The museum will be free to all visitors Sunday, the last day before the work begins.

It will stop lending out Picasso artworks during the overhaul, which will begin with experts updating, computerizing and restoring the inventory, museum director Anne Baldassari said Saturday.

The museum, in a baroque mansion in Paris’ Marais district, opened in 1985, and it traces the Spanish-born artist’s prolific career. Picasso died in 1973.

Renovation of the 3,000-square-meter (32,000-square-foot) space will begin early next year. It is expected to last two years and cost euro20 million, the museum said in a statement.

“It needs modernizing,” Baldassari said, citing electrical problems and the need to make it more accessible to people with reduced mobility.

She also wants to boost attendance — currently at about half a million people a year — and attract more young people by expanding exhibition space and adding halls for student activities.

While the museum has about 5,000 pieces in stock, it only displays 250-300 at a time, she said. “We can’t continue like this,” she said.

To guard against theft of the museum’s riches during the renovation, the artworks will be packaged and shipped, under tight security, to storerooms managed by the national museum authority, Baldassari said. The entire process is very “locked-up and watched by police,” she said on France-Info radio, declining to give further details.

Picasso’s paintings, sculptures and sketches are among the world’s most coveted artworks and are often targeted by thieves.

The museum will continue to host education and cultural events related to the Picasso collection at other sites while the renovation is done.

I didn’t even know Strasbourg HAD a 10-day  international film festival. Of course, this is only their second year but it’s definitely worth a mention. (Thanks, Sophie)

The Strasbourg International Film Festival is an alternative, cutting-edge discovery film festival showcasing independent film from around the world mainly focusing on the works of new and emerging filmmakers, held annually. Presenting 50 feature films and over 150 short films, the Strasbourg International Film Festival works to empower and assist independent filmmakers while bringing audiences a uniquely rich and cultural filmic experience they might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience and embrace.

Here’s the press release for the event:

Strasbourg, France – The Strasbourg International Film Festival presents feature films selected to screen in the following categories – Drama, Post Modern Drama, Culturally-Inclined Drama, Dramedy, Romantic Comedy, Psychological Thriller, SciFi-Fantasy-Horror, Experimental, Animation and Documentary . The 2009 Strasbourg International FIlm Festival runs August 28 through Sept 6 in Strasbourg, France and Kehl, Germany.

For the 2009 Strasbourg International FIlm Festival 50 feature-length films were selected including 11 World Premieres, 13 International Premieres, 11 European Premieres, 3 Mainland European Premieres, 8 French Premieres, and 3 Strasbourg Premieres representing 37 countries with 31 first-time filmmakers.

The films screening in DRAMA are:

Baghdad, Texas / USA (Director: David H. Hickey) 90 mins. – 2009 – While a Middle Eastern dictator is fleeing his occupied country his plane crashes on the Mexican Border. He is inadvertently carried into Texas by illegal immigrants. Struck by a truck driven by three cowboys, he is taken back to their exotic game ranch where they slowly discover his identity. International premiere

Bathory / Austria/Slovakia, Czech Republic, UK, Hungary, USA (Director: Juraj Jakubisko) 138 mins. – 2008 – Bathory is based on the legends surrounding the life and deeds of Countess Elizabeth Bathory known as the greatest murderess in the history of mankind. Contrary to popular belief, Elizabeth Bathory was a modern Renaissance woman who ultimately fell victim to mens aspirations for power and wealth. French Premiere

Bergfest (Without You I’m Nothing) / Germany (Directed by Florian Eichinger, 1st Feature) 89 mins. – 2008 – A weekend in the Bavarian Alps. 25-year-old HANNES meets his father after 8 years of separation in a little mountain hut. By the influence of their very different girl friends ANN and LAVINIA, the stage-director-father and his actor-son cautiously try to make a new start. A bold venture, leading all of them to an abyss of unforeseen cruelty.  French Premiere

Broken Hill / Australia/USA (Directed by Dagen Merrill. Starring Timothy Hutton) 105 mins. – 2009 – Set against the backdrop of a drought-ridden, rural sheep-ranching community in the heart of Australia’s desolate Outback, BROKEN HILL is the story of an aspiring high school music composer, Tommy McAlpine (18), who struggles against his father’s expectations, cultural stereotypes, and the lack of musicians in his small town. French Premiere

God’s Ear / USA (Directed by Michael Worth) 110 mins. – 2008 – Noah Connelly is a boxer with a tireless opponent: Autism. When he meets a fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants dancer named Alexia, both find themselves becoming atracted to each other and must face a bridge between them that neither are sure they are prepared to cross. European Premiere

Forecast / Bulgaria (Directed by Sophia Zornitsa) 102 mins. – 2008 – Margarita leaves the famous reporter Marco Matanich and joins her brother going for a windsurfing vacation with his friends from different Balkan countries on a Turkish island. Marco arrives on the island “only” for the board Margarita stole from him.  French Premiere

Madre Mia / France (Directed by Stefan Libiot) 71 mins. – 2009 – Conversations with mother. (Conversations avec la mère) Strasbourg Premiere
Mita Meista Tuli (What Became of Us) / Finland, Russia/Finland (Directed by Miika Ullakko) 123 mins. – 2009 – Haunted by their childhood pasts friends are faced with their demons and made to tell the tale. European Premiere

Films selected for POST MODERN DRAMA are:

3 Saisons (3 Seasons) / Canada (Directed by Jim Donovan) 100 mins – 2008 – Life finds a way. (La vie trouve un moyen.) Mainland European Premiere

Aspettando Il Sole/ Italy (Directed by Ago Panini, 1st Feature) 95 mins. – 2008 – The place is Italy, anywhere at the beginning of the Eighties. Three bad boys stumble across a remote hotel, looking for something to amuse them through the long hours until dawn, they decide to take the hotel’s night porter hostage. The Bellevue Hotel is full of guests who breathe and sob behind doors. They act out of love and despair, in whispers and screams. Only when these stories start to intertwine do the walls dissolve revealing the visible thread that links their destinies. Strasbourg Premiere

Bureaucracy / USA (Directed by Mark Perreault, 1st Feature) 87 mins. – 2009 – A loyal employee overburdened by a corrupt boss carefully plots a murder to save himself and his blind sister from economic hardship.

La Rina/The Pit / Brazil (Directed by Marcelo Galvão) 85 mins. – 2008 – Instead of showing typical poverty in Brazil, La Riña unveils the opposite by unmasking a sick and cruel elite. Based on true facts, La Riña highlights the polemic of bare knuckle fights in a playboy party where drugs and drinks are served on silver trays.  European Premiere

Love Me Still / UK (Directed by Danny Hiller, 1st Feature) 96 mins. – 2007 – ‘Love Me Still’ is an urban street movie with elements of the classical gangster Brit flick combined with the melodrama of unrelenting love.  Mainland European Premiere

MURO “Nalet Olsun Icimdeki Insan Sevgisine” / Turkey (Directed by Sasmaz Zubeyr, 1st Feature) 97 mins. – 2008 – Muro and Çeto who were released from prison recently, come back to homeland to start their revolution from their village. Their aim is to get married and to be an honorable reformist. However there is an unexpected surprise waiting for them in the village. Muro and Çeto were married off two Russian women by the headman of the village when they were at prison. Muro and Çeto have to carry out their revolution dream by being divorced from them. Therefore they return to İstanbul… European Premiere

Uneasy / USA (Directed by Kenneth Compton, 1st Feature) 80 mins. – 2009 – Michael, a disconnected youth, is involved in the death of an old Russian woman. Easily escaping his pursuers, he cannot run from his conscience, forcing him to make the ultimate sacrifice. World Premiere

Un peu plus d’éternité / France (Directed by Niav Conty, 1st Feature) 75 mins. – 2008 – Anne exists. She doesn’t know why, or how long it will last. She is alone. In her routine life, she is confronted by the absurdity of human behavior, the strange nature of communication, and the tragic-comedy of jumbled encounters. World Premiere

Films screening in CULTURALLY-INCLINED DRAMA are:

Forward/Backward / USA (Directed by Elizabeth Spear/Kendall Lynch, 2nd/1st Feature respectively) 96 mins. – 2009 – Clayton lost his wallet, and he hasn’t paid the water bill. Which wouldn’t be so bad, except he also lost his job sweeping up at the theater. Small, East Texas towns like Reklaw don’t have too many jobs for guys with a brain injury, slight paralysis and an occasional lack of good judgment. And no, in case you were wondering, he ain’t retarded.  International Premiere

Jose Ignacio / Uruguay (Directed by Ricardo Preve) 83 mins. – 2009 – A summer love story that happens in a little village of the coast of Uruguay between a writer and a woman who teaches surf.  International Premiere

Shiro’s Head / Guam (Directed by Kel Muna/Don Muna, 1st Feature) 80 mins. – 2008 – A modern part of a forgotten history, ‘Shiro’s Head’ takes us to the Pacific island of Guam, USA where outcast Vince Flores (Don Muna) struggles to come to terms with his family’s history of secrets and a dark past of his own. Shunned from his family for the death of his father, his attempt to reconcile causes his family’s past to catch up to him for the last time.  European Premiere

El regalo de la Pachamama / Bolivia (Directed by Toshifumi Matsushita, 1st Feature) 104 mins. – 2008 – A spiritual docudrama set in Bolivia, where a 13-year-old boy lives a traditional life with his family near Uyuni, a salt lake.  European Premiere

Village Tales / Poland (Directed by Wlodzimierz Krygier, 1st Feature) 62 mins. – 2008 – A culturally-inclined rural docudrama about life in Poland. (Un docudrame culturelle au sujet de la mode de vie en Pologne.) World Premiere

Films screening in DRAMEDY are:

Boppin’ At The Glue Factory / USA (Directed by Jeff Orgill, 1st Feature) 81 mins. – 2009 – A junkie nurse stumbles into his dream job – running the graveyard shift at a convalescent home.  Strasbourg Premiere

Der Mond und Andere Liebhaber (The Moon and Other Lovers) / Germany (Directed by Bernd Böhlich) 101 mins. – 2008 – The film narrates the story of Hanna, a woman who will not take life’s set backs and knock-downs sitting down. Instead, she takes them in her stride, picks herself up and marches onward. This is a woman who continually draws new courage from her inexhaustible will to live. Whatever losses and uncertainties come her way, she remains true to herself. French Premiere

Herbeast Comes to Life / USA (Directed by Timothy Williams, 1st Feature) 90 mins. – 2009 – An over-the-top comedy about a young man who goes on a journey to find his place in the world.  World Premiere

Na Lepom Plavom Dunavu (The Beautiful Blue Danube) / Austria, Hungary, Serbia/Montenegro / Serbia/Montenegro (Directed by Darko Bajic) 107 mins. – 2008 – The ship “Kriemhild” is a floating sin city where people from East and West share the same bourgeois dreams and consumer’s utopia. In the post heroic, post aesthetic phase- only a dream has survived: the need for love. French Premiere

Films screening in ROMANTIC COMEDY are:

Love Hurts / USA (Directed by Barra Grant) 95 mins. – 2008 – Ben (Richard E. Grant) A successful doctor but an obtuse husband, is finally left by his wife (Carrie Anne Moss). Befuddled by life and romance and obsessed with winning her back, Ben is tutored by his extremely popular 17 year-old son. To his amazement Ben becomes the most desirable single man in town. World Premiere

Pussyfoot / USA/USA, Serbia/Montenegro (Directed by Dusan Sekulovic, 1st Feature) 97 mins. – 2008 – Irwin Pelkalvski, a bristly faced resident alien, and friends face their second coming of age in New York City. For Irwin, there are ‘women’ and then there are ‘girls’: women want to get married and girls just want to have fun. For the single Anny there are three types of men: married, gay and idiots. Polish polka bars, confusing self help books and a mythical hooker that never sleeps with her clients, confound their American journey. International Premiere

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Undead / USA (Directed by Jordan Galland) 83 mins. – 2008 – Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead is a comedy about the connection between Shakespeare, the Holy Grail and some sexy vampires. Our hero, an unemployed theater director, is unwittingly dragged into an ancient conspiracy, and his friend’s warning–’Don’t let your ex-girlfriend suck the life out of you’ — takes on a new meaning. International Premiere

Films screening in PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER are:

31 North 62 East / Jordan, UK/UK (Directed by Tristan Loraine, 1st Feature) 100 mins. – 2009 – A female Captain in the SAS who survives an attack on her unit in Afghanistan, later discovers that her unit was sacrificed for political reasons. World Premiere

Eugene / USA (Directed by Jake Barsha, 1st Feature) 85 mins. – 2008 – A psychological thriller about a lonely bachelor who befriends a young hustler and his girlfriend, with disastrous results for all involved. International Premiere

Four of a Kind / Australia (Directed by Fiona Cochrane, 1st Feature) 115 mins. – 2008 – Four different women, each with a well-hidden secret they are coaxed, tricked or forced into revealing… sometimes it’s better to omit the truth. European Premiere

Print / USA (Directed by Ashley C. Beyer, 1st Feature) 81 mins. – 2008 – Print is a taut psychological thriller about Chase, a young man who sets out to confront the best-selling author he is convinced stole his life story. The only problem is, the author may be a fabrication from the mind of a duplicitous photographer. International Premiere

Films screening in SCI-FI – FANTASY – HORROR are:

The Antidote / USA (Directed by Randy Cole) 63 mins. – 2008 – A voyeuristic teenager named Jimmy witnesses a scientist’s transformation into a nightmarish creature. When Jimmy investigates, the scientist turned creature pleads with him to help restore him to his former human self. What ensues is a dark bargaining between teenager and monster over homework, lust, love, and eventually death.  International Premiere

Clear Lake, WI / USA (Directed by Brian Ide, 1st Feature. Starring Michael Madsen) 87 mins. – 2008 – A group of six people return to their former home town (now a ghost town) to revisit the evil that drove them away 15 years ago. International Premiere

Finale / USA (Directed by John Elfers, 1st Feature) 93 mins. – 2008 – When Helen discovers her son was sacrificed by a demonic cult, no one believes her. Alone, she must destroy the cult to save her family.  European Premiere

The Fourth Pillar / Australia (Directed by Leo Flander, 1st Feature) 87 mins. – 2009 – Rheya Fitzgerald arrives at NSG-E42, she soon finds out the school is run like a prison. The students plight becomes worse when a failed rebellion causes students to begin to disappear. World Premiere

Locked Out / Japan (Directed by Yasunobu Takahashi, 1st Feature) 81 mins. – 2008 – Hiroshi is lost, on the road, driving aimlessly by himself, radio blaring, when he slowly realizes he is nowhere. He doesn’t know exactly where he is, and reflects that he doesn’t even have a specific destination. The feeling of loss lingers around him. On the way, he encounters a projection of a more violent HIMSELF, seething with hatred and viciousness.  Strasbourg Premiere

Treis Stigmes (Three Moments) / Greece (Directed by Petros Sevastikoglou) 80 mins. – 2008 – Love confronting three ages, three moments.  International Premiere

Films screening in EXPERIMENTAL are:

The Day / Mexico (Directed by Tao René Mijares, 1st Feature) 106 mins. – 2008 – One day in the life of a woman. (Un jour dans la vie d’une femme.) World Premiere
For the End of Time / Slovenia (Directed by Ema Kugler, 2nd Feature. Narration by Lydia Lunch) 127 mins. – 2009 – A film about the mind… about the body, and the inability to merge these two entities. World Premiere

Jane’s Paradise / Netherlands (Directed by Dee Wills, 1st Feature) 80 mins. – 2008 – Fragments of a life. Fragments of a mind. The life and mind of Jane Doe, an every-girl dealing with the ‘gift’ of imagination. Unraveling the darker side of her present, she struggles to break free from her past. To become what this Jane dreams of becoming…a filmmaker.  World Premiere

The Why / USA (Directed by Anthony Pedone, 1st Feature) 97 mins. – 2009 – In the absence of love… In the absence of hate… In the absence of reason… ( World Premiere

Film screenings in DOCUMENTARY are:

Betrayal: The Life and Art of Rudolf Bauer / Germany, U S A /USA (Directed by Ken Swartz, 1st Feature) 72 mins. – 2008 – From a Gestapo prison to the Guggenheim Museum, the story of twentieth-century abstract artist Rudolf Bauer is one of Shakespearean proportion. Yet Bauer’s name and art have been largely forgotten. This documentary revisits the life and art of this important painter, from his artistic beginnings in Berlin before World War I to his pioneering contributions to abstract art and his patronage by copper magnate Solomon R. Guggenheim. Sixty years later the art of Rudolf Bauer is rediscovered.  International Premiere

Children of Armageddon / Canada, French Polynesia, Japan, Marshall Islands, New Zealand/Canada (Directed by Fabienne Lips-Dumas, 1st Feature) 95 mins. – 2008 – In the face of a potential nuclear renaissance, this passionate and deeply moving account explores the legacy of nuclear arms in Japan, the Marshall Islands, French Polynesia, New Zealand, and around the world. With the participation of: Noam Chomsky, Hans Blix, Judge C.G. Weeramantry, Arjun Makhijani, and Douglas Roche. European Premiere

Guerrilla Midwife / Indonesia, U S A (Directed by Deja Bernhardt, 1st Feature) 67 mins. – 2008 – Follows Ibu Robin Lim into the trenches of her work. From Bali, where hemorrhage after childbirth is a leading cause of death, into the Tsunami disaster zone in Aceh, where her battle is fought with only one weapon, love. In this culturally mesmerizing, heart-wrenching documentary, you will discover why we must reinvent our protocols for pregnancy and childbirth in order to preserve our Planet’s Humanity. Mainland European Premiere

Nuestros Desaparecidos/Our Disappeared / Argentina, U S A/USA (Directed by Juan Mandelbaum) 99 mins. – 2008 – After learning that Patricia, a long lost girlfriend from Argentina, is among the thousands who “disappeared” during the 1976-1983 dictatorship, director Juan Mandelbaum embarks on a journey to find out what happened to her and others he knew who were kidnapped and never seen again. European Premiere

Pirate for the Sea / Antarctica, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, South Africa, U S A/USA (Directed by Ron Colby) – 101 mins. – 2008 – A biographical film of Captain Paul Watson. The youngest founding member of Greenpeace Canada, he organized early campaigns protesting the killing of seals,whales and dolphins. Greenpeace ejected him for being too much of an activist. Starting his own organization, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, he went on to sink illegal whaling ships, stopped the Canadian seal hunt for ten years, permanently halted sealing in British Isles, killing of dolphins on Iki Island, Japan, etc. This documentary witnesses his latest campaigns & explores the personal and environmental history of this controversial marine environmentalist.  French Premiere

Sweet Crude / Nigeria/USA (Directed by Sandy Cioffi, 1st Feature) 93 mins. – 2009 – Sweet Crude is the story of Nigeria’s Niger Delta – the human and environmental consequences of 50 years of oil extraction, the history of non-violent protest, and the members of a new insurgency who, in the three years since the filmmakers met them as college students, became the young men of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND).  Mainland European Premiere

Strasbourg Int’l Film Fest (website)

Meet Mademoiselle Fifi (yes, Fifi). Apparently, she’s the summer mascot at Laduree and is featured on this cute macaron box. Personally, the box looks like dog biscuits should be inside, but… it’s cute, anyway. A box fits 8 macarons and costs 14.70 euros. Laduree

While we’re on the subject of boxes, designer Christian Louboutin got together with Laduree and came up with these boxes covered with macarons and shiny Louboutin shoes and purses.

The macarons will take on a Mediterranean flavor created by pastry chef Philippe Andrieu.

12 euros for a box of 6 macarons. Available in September, 2009.

From the Fondation Cartier:

The Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain is pleased to present Born in the Streets—Graffiti, on view from July 7 to November 29, 2009. Occupying the entire gallery space of the Fondation Cartier, as well as the building’s façade and surrounding garden, the exhibition brings to light the extraordinary development of an artistic movement that was born in the streets of New York in the early 1970s to rapidly become a worldwide phenomenon. Today, graffiti has entered the cultural mainstream, crossing over to the realms of studio art, design and advertising. Yet, despite its immense popularity, this essentially illegal activity continues to evolve at the periphery of the contemporary art world, its origins and history little-known to the general public. This exhibition attempts to sketch the general contours of a subject that is vast and complex, a form of expression that has come to embrace many different techniques, ideas and styles. The exhibition traces the origins of the graffiti movement while offering a panorama of the diversity of contemporary writing. It provides the public with the opportunity to rediscover an art both ubiquitous and continually evolving, and thus relate to the city in a new way.

In Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s most recent TED Talk, he discusses his three most recent projects on humanity and our habitat. You’ll be glued to the aerial photographs in his series “Earth from Above,” personal interviews from around the globe featured in his web project “6 billion Others,” and his soon-to-be-released free movie, “Home (produced by Luc Besson),” which documents human impact on the environment through breathtaking video. Home’s global premiere is tomorrow, June 5, which is World Environment Day.

From viewonfashion:

“…Hermés is launching a graphic design competition in collaboration with Designboom. Famous all over the world for their exquisite luxury creations, they’ve always paid special attention to their silk tie collections. Now, they want to find new prints, so they’ve opened a competition to design students, amateurs and professionals. They want them to present their ideal print, whether it’s their own design or a reinterpretation of the French brand’s classic styles.

The options range from a remake of a classic print to your own unique print… The designer can take their inspiration from the following themes: horses, marine life, flowers, animals and geometric design… The only requirement is that it can be printed on a silk tie.

Entrants will be in the running for a first prize of €3000, a second prize of €2000, and a third of €1000.

The jury is made up of the following people:

Pierre-Alexis Dumas, General Artistic Director – Hermès International
Véronique Nichanian, Artistic Director Hermès Men – Hermès Sellier / Deputy Men’s Artistic Director – Hermès International
Bali Barret, Creative Director – Hermès Silk & Textiles / Deputy Women’s Artistic Director – Hermès International
Hélène Dubrule, Managing Director – Hermès Silk & Textiles
Christophe Goineau, Director of men’s silk collection – Hermès Silk & Textiles
Christine Duvigneau, Graphic Design Studio Director – Hermès International.
Corinne Poux-Bernard, Innovation Director – Hermès International
Gabriele Pezzini, Designer, Design Director – Hermès International
Birgit Lohmann, Editor-in-Chief – Designboom

You can register on Designboom by clicking here.”

Now I know why it can be hard to find unusual and real antiques and meubles de métier here in France. They’ve been shipped to the U.S.!

Based in San Francisco, The Butler and the Chef offer an enormous and impressive collection of French antiques and other collectibles for people looking to add some functional French style to their homes.

The Butler and The Chef – French Antique Showroom
290 Utah Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: 415.626.9600 Fax: 415.626.9601
Email: btlrchef@pacbell.net

[via]

With the most famous landmark in Paris as his muse, designer Alexander McQueen, reinvents the Eiffel Tower to put a new spin on women’s apparel. The leggings cost 85 euros, the matching top is 125 euros.

^{Sugar purses!}
A sugar company doesn’t usually, for any particular reason, merit much attention but Belle de Sucre is so very different. Their various forms and sculptures, are truly works of art and are boundlessly creative and playful, perfect for weddings, promotional items, food photos, theme parties, fashion runways, even to put a little fun and color in daily life. The assortment and craftsmanship of their sugar is so absolutely mind-bogglingly enormous. I just love these works. (no, I don’t work for them!)

^{Promotional company sugar}
Companies are always looking for fun promotional knick-knacks. These are just that and functional, too.

^{Sugar necklace}
These brilliant necklaces might not be very easily wearable but they will attract attention.

^{Window Display}
Dazzling window displays for stores. Who wouldn’t want their windows dressed in sugar?

^{Paris Landmarks and Monuments}
These are adorable and tiny Eiffel Towers, Arch de Triumphs, and Pantheons, and might be perfect for Paris B&Bs and for unusual souvenirs for tea drinkers!

The fun button sugars would be so excellent for a party of fashion designers.

^{Do you spoon?}
Aren’t these cute?! I can just see them in Bea’s photos.

Photo taken in Aix-en-Provence yesterday.

From viewonfashion:

“The Louis Vuitton ad campaign for the Stephen Sprouse collection is really amazing, and it´s a great branding tool too. All around the world, LV shops are using graffiti to promote this long-awaited collection which is already a big sales hit.

To promote the launch of the Louis Vuitton book that pays tribute to Stephen Sprouse, they´ve got legendary graffiti artist Skam to paint an LV mural in Toronto.” [via] (photo courtesy of inqmnd)

It’s been reported that Pierre Bergé, the long-time companion and business partner to the late Yves Saint-Laurent, began putting up articles for auction, artwork and artifacts owned by the late designer. Proceeds are to be designated to the AIDS foundation he founded. The auction began despite China’s demands to halt it. China claims that two valuable Qing Dynasty bronzes, a rat and a rabbit, worth about $12 million each, belong to China. Chinese officials claim the items were stolen from Beijing’s Imperial Summer Palace by British and French forces in 1860.

Bergé, as the legal owner of these bronzes, will not relinquish the bronzes to China UNLESS China meets certain demands of his own.

Here’s what Mr. Berge has declared, “Moi, je suis prêt à offrir ces têtes en bronze au gouvernement chinois, tout de suite…Il leur suffit de déclarer qu’ils vont appliquer les droits de l’homme, rendre la liberté aux Tibétains et accepter le dalaï-lama sur leur territoire.”

Translation: “I am ready to offer the bronze heads to the Chinese government immediately… They simpy have to declare that they will enforce human rights, give freedom back to Tibetans and allow His Holiness The Dalai Lama entry into Chinese territory.”

If not, Pierre Bergé invites China to say, “ au revoir rat and rabbit heads!”

Pierre Bergé is awesome, tout simplement.

[sources: France Inter, France 2, lexpress]

I wonder if Jeff Koons, the artist whose sculptures are displayed at the Château de Versailles (until Dec 14), is responsible for those condom ads.

Versailles Exhibition (slideshow and article at nyt)

Found this Eiffel Tower Dome Pendant Charm Cluster Brass Necklace Kit at one of my fave places to waste time, Etsy, and thought I’d share. Here’s the link: Eiffel Tower Necklace. It’s available for $7.50.

Pretty cool news: Beginning April 4, visitors under 25 years old, as well as professors, will be admitted into the French National museums and monuments for free. This includes Paris’ Louvre and the Musee d’Orsay. The normal admission fee for adults at the Louvre, for example, is around €9 ($12). [ via]

tags: france, french, free

^{Telephone Booth Aquarium in Lyon}

^Fish!

This incredible aquarium, made from an old telephone booth in Lyon is a beautiful study in recycled arts. Made by Benoit Deseille and Benedetto Bufalino, the project came about from le festival Lumières de Lyon, the annual arts festival. It’s been around for a couple of years, apparently. I just stumbled on it via technorati. Now I want to go see it myself. I wonder if they are frozen right now. I wonder if they removed the fish before it started getting too cold…

tags: france, french, cabine téléphonique aquarium, telephone booth aquarium, lyon

Make your everyday objects interactive, smart and communicative with Le Mir:ror. Simply affix RFID Ztamps to them and show them to Mir:ror. Mir:ror is now available in Europe for 45.00 €. Get it here.

tags: france, french, mirror, nabaztag

Voila for your viewing enjoyment: An impressive and very well-made French animation called “Dans la tete” (in the head) that will grab your attention and hook you ’til the end. 6 minutes. In French with English subtitles.

Click on the image above or here to watch it.

[via]

tags: france, french, french army, animation, dans la tete

Here are Jean Charles de Castelbajac‘s recent designs inspired by nearly everyone’s favorite childhood toy products at Lego. The clothes are modeled after Lego playsets and the hats are actual assembled Lego bricks. I really love the house hat! (Now you know what to get me for Christmas. I’m kidding. Sort of.)

[via]

tags: france, french, lego, Jean Charles de Castelbajac

In the past, I suppose I haven’t been too kind when mentioning the designs coming from Philippe Starck. My opinion is a matter of subjective taste, which happens to be in the minority and generally, I hate am disgusted dislike immensely his designs. I can’t help it. Let’s say that I WANT to like it, but it just doesn’t happen for me. I mean, c’mon look at what he created for babies here.

I have more examples. A couple of days ago, he was making headlines that corresponded with the opening of a new boutique hotel launched by the founders of Club Med because he designed it. The hotel, called Mama Shelter, is located just outside of Paris. It looks fun and it seems to be a budget hotel that is warm open. I do think they achieved their goal.

Now, the design. It’s not horrible. Alright. I am not too thrilled with the sconces that Mr. Starck designed. They are essentially plastic Halloween masks he bought from Walmart or somewhere, then decided to reassign their function and hang them on the wall. When I saw these, I wanted to laugh and cry and the same time.

That said, Philippe Starck once admitted that he tries to make his life worthy of existing as a designer… and although his designs don’t impress me in the slightest, he was nevertheless impressive, if not entertaining during his 18-minute talk at TED. In some way he and his speech redeemed himself to me in many ways as he explained in a fun and charming way, why he designs, and in the end, it doesn’t really matter if it’s ugly or ridiculous or silly.

[via apartmentherapy]

tags: france, french, paris, mama shelter, philippe starck, mask sconces philippe starck, ted talks

tags: france, french, garden sculpture, Friday France Photo

The people over at gizmodo find the new cable box, “le cube” a lot more “stylishly French” than I think it is… I don’t find it stylish nor particularly French, except for the fact that it’s in France. I WANT to like it, but it’s not working for me. Anyway. More about it below.

From gizmodo:

“French cable provide Canal+ teamed up with touted OLPC and Jawbone designer Yves Behar to produce “Le Cube,” their new, ultra-stylish HD cable box with DVR and video on demand functions. Looking like a Wii all dressed up for a formal event, Le Cube blends simple geometry with simple colors to create something that’s visually striking.

But looks aside, this thing puts all of its interactive electronics and LED display into the black square portion of the box, leaving the rest relatively unscathed. It even comes with a remote control that matches the black and white motif. Call me crazy, but I wouldn’t mind moving to France just to have this in my living room. Le Cube will be available for Canal+ subscribers around November 4.” [source]

tags: france, french, cable box, canal plus, olpc, jawbone, le cube, yves behar

WWF France (World Wildlife Fund) is turning 35 years old. Remembering their 35 years of struggle to save natural habitats and wildlife, and their 35 years of helping to protect biodiversity, the WWF is taking their icon/mascot, the panda, as a theme to “celebrate” these 35 years of combating the disappearance of pandas and thousands of other species of animals in danger. There are only 1600 pandas left on earth because Man has accelerated their extinction. The exhibit of 1600 pandas at the Trocadero is a call to action for each person to do their part in helping to reverse the deterioration of our natural environment.

1600 Pandas – WWF
Trocadero, Paris
October 18, 2008
10am – 5pm

tags: france, french, pandas, wwf, trocadero

The French animated short, Skhizein, written and directed by Jeremy Clapin has earned several awards (The Cannes’ Kodak Prize for Best Animated Short, Animafest’s Best Film, Palm Spring’s 2nd Best Film…). It’s a story about Henri, a cute little guy who unfortunately gets struck by a 150,000 ton meteor. Luckily, he survives! Sort of. From that moment on, if he wants to move or do anything like answer the phone or sit in a chair, he has to judge his distance 91 centimeters (3 feet) away because he exists 91 centimeters from where he used to exist…

There will be a special night dedicated to the making of SKHIZEIN in Paris, where you’ll be able to see Jeremy Clapin’s first short, Une Histoire Vertébrale, followed by SKHIZEIN. Jeremy will also introduce the crew along with presenting the different stages involved in the making of the film.

Une soirée consacrée à la création de Skhizein – October 20, 2008, 7:30pm
LE DENFERT
24, place Denfert-Rochereau
75014 – Metro Denfert-Rochereau.
Admission: 5€
Website: Skhizein
Email Contact: jeremy@muiye.com

tags: france, french, films, skhizein, short animated films

Inimitable sculptor specializing in funky wine decanters and unusual functional glass sculptures, Etienne Meneau, just released a new work called, Petit Coeur/Little heart. It’s a verre à boire (drinking glass) very different than your usual wine glass. The dimensions are as follows:

Height : 7.9 inches (20 cm)
Content : 6.7 fluid ounces (20 cl)
Material : borosilicat glass (also known as pyrex)
Price : 1500 euros + shipping
limited edition ( 8 numbered and signed + 4 artist proofs )

Click here for more information:
Etienne Meneau
Email Etienne Meneau: etiennemeneau@free.fr

tags: france, french, wine glasses, petit coeur, etienne meneau

tags: france, notre dame d’amiens, cathedral, amiens

In our world that has unfortunately embraced the notion of “planned obsolescence,” when I encounter quality-made, let alone hand-made items, AND made in France, they stand out like stars amidst the dark universe.

In a small village not too far from where we live, we walked by an unassuming, “blend-in-the-background” studio and I’m happy we actually noticed what was inside because we saw these flowers in pots:

Nope, they aren’t really flower pots, they’re leather purses! Aren’t they totally adorable and original? They are one of a kind and there are several whimsical and unique purses inside this handbag artist’s studio: an haricot purse, carrot purse, and my favorite, an eggplant purse. Sorry, but the photo of the aubergine was too blurry to post.

We talked with Sylvia, an expat from Switzerland, who is the creative mastermind behind these works of art and we chatted a bit. She’d mentioned that she took several purses to a luxury handbag store in the south of France, a fancy store that sells designer handbags. The owner of this store had rejected her purses because he said, “They are too nice and well-made.” He wanted purses that would break in a matter of months so customers would return to buy new purses. Grrr!

Her purses, wallets, etc. – are all made out of high quality leather. They will last forever. These are also unique. As an artisan specializing in purses / wallets (and other maroquinerie / leather goods) in France, she is by law, not allowed to make more than 6 of the same style items. This isn’t a problem, she says, because it gives her more freedom to be creative with new styles.

And creative, she is. Look at this watering can key chain holder.

Here’s her “book purse.”

If you’re not into these playful designs, she does make more “serious” styles as well. Everything is impressive.

I love that these purses are so much fun, different and one of a kind (or at most 6 of a kind). It’s perfect for people who want a designer purse that no one else has. It’s a shift from mass produced to niche unique, which I feel is becoming a nice trend. The “mass market” used to be considered as highly demanded and therefore of quality value, but that is simply no longer the case. In reality, mass produced purses, even if they’re designer brands, represents a recognizable label that exists because of savvy marketing/advertising executives calling out to a shallow, broad appeal.

Niche items, like these purses, have much more value, are beautiful, and they will last a long, long time. Note: You can also order custom made bags from Sylvia. If you’re interested in purchasing any of her works, check out her purses at the following link below:

One of a Kind Handbags Made in France

tags: france, unique handbags,handbags, purses, made in france, leather, niche purses

All kinds of fun events take place in France during August. Here’s a small selection:

August 1 – 3
20è Festival International de la Marionnette / 20th Marionnette Festival – Mirepoix – Every year the lovely arcaded medieval village of Mirepoix becomes a stage for puppets and puppeteers! More info

August 2
Fête du lac / Lake Festival – Annecy – Every year Annecy’s lake becomes the beautiful backdrop of this celebrated festival featuring music, dance and memorable fireworks festivities. More info

August 7
Course des Anes / Donkey Derby – Trouville-sur-Mer, 2pm-5pm – free – This is an annual event in the seaside town near Deauville called Trouville-sur-Mer. When fancy schmancy Deauville holds its posh horse racing, Trouville-sur-Mer offers a more laid back alternative. More info

August 9
Fête de la carotte / Carrot Festival – Créances, (Normandy) France – How can you pass up a festival dedicated to my farm fresh favorite juice-able veggie? Don’t miss the lunch or dinner, either. You probably know what’s on the menu. Call ahead to make reservations to attend the meals: Annie Auzou au 02 33 17 09 91.

August 10
La Pourcailhade / La Fête des cochons / Pig Festival – Trie-sur-Baïse – Starts at 9:30am – Time to pig out at this annual event with a pig squealing contest and sausage eating contest. More info

until August 15
L’heure du ciné – Movie Time - Nantes, 10pm Wednesdays – Free films every Wednesday 10pm in the Nante’s most verdant areas. Bring a picnic and enjoy dinner and a movie out in an open, lush space. More info Also: see Paris’ Open Air Cinema (La Villette) and Parc de Choisy

August 17
La Force Basque / Strongman Competition - Saint Palais – It’s all about muscle power in one of the most beautiful regions in France, Basque Country. Watch heavyweights lift a boulder! More info

August 23, 24
Fête de l’oignon rosé / Pink Onion Festival – Roscoff (Bretagne) – The regional AOC specialty of sweet, pink onions take center stage at this celebration of one of the most healthful and yummy veggies around. More info

August 28, 29
Rock en Seine – Domaine National de Saint Cloud – This rockin’ 2 day outdoor event is held in the Saint Cloud park just outside Paris. Showcase acts this year are: REM, Amy Winehouse, Rage Against the Machine, The Roots. More info

tags: france , events in france festivals , travel

For non-French speakers, it can be a challenge, if not completely impossible to correctly pronounce some names of French wines. Here’s another one that is not very easy to pronounce but if you could, you might not want to pronounce it. I found this excellent wall paper covered with wine labels in a brasserie in Beaune (Burgundy). One particular wine label stuck out, called, “Montre Cul,” which means “show your ass.” Burgundy vintners are silly and fun, apparently. The great thing about this wine is that if you’re looking for it in a store and the salesperson comes to help you, you don’t necessarily have to try to pronounce it. Just mimmick exactly what the woman on the label is doing…. THAT should work.

That isn’t too much to ask, is it? I mean, try acting out this label.

tags: france travel montre cul fun wine labels

Tonight, the City of Santa Monica in California will launch an interactive light installation / art festival called, “Glow” and the pier and beach will literally glow all night long. Think of it as an all night psychedelic light party with media art, performances, music and sculpture installations. I couldn’t help writing about my old socal stomping grounds.

This is the first ever event of its kind for the U.S., but the idea isn’t new. They’ve borrowed the idea from the annual Paris Nuit Blanche (White Night), which is the night Paris stays awake till wee hours of the morning, and millions of people attend this artistic block party of sorts. (By the way, this year the Paris Nuit Blanche takes place on October 4 and 5, 2008.)

Glow takes place tonight 7pm until Sunday 7am.

Here’s a description from the site:

“Glow will fill the hours between dusk to dawn with compelling, enchanting and effervescent sights and sounds situated in spaces and times that expand possibilities for where, how and when the public experiences contemporary art.
With the historic Santa Monica Pier and adjacent world-famous Santa Monica Beach as their space, artists were commissioned to create unique and inviting works of art that welcome the public to be both audience and actor for twelve celebratory hours. Inspired by the wildly successful Nuit Blanche in Paris, Glow takes its spirit from the fabled grunion that live in local waters and come ashore several times a year to spawn in the sand creating a momentary sensation of iridescence.”

Glow
July 19, 2008
7pm to 7am
Free to the public
WHERE:
The “GLOW” Zone, Santa Monica, CA (Ocean Avenue between Colorado and Santa Monica Blvd), Carousel and Ferris Wheel at Santa Monica Pier, Ferris Wheel at Pacific Park, Palisades Park (at entrance to Pier on Ocean Avenue), Muscle Beach, in front of Loews Hotel at Appian Way.
Website: Glow (for current up-to-the-minute calendars, parking information, maps and schedules)

tags: santa monica travel glow nuit blanche

I guess it’s too fattening.

From breitbart:

“France’s bid, backed by famous chefs, to have its cuisine added to UNESCO’s list of world cultural treasures is likely to flop, a representative from the UN body said Saturday.
“There is no category at UNESCO for gastronomy,” said Cherif Khaznadar, president of the UNESCO assembly of states that have signed the convention to safeguard intangible cultural heritage.

Khaznadar said only the elements specifically identified in the convention can make the list of intangible heritage — and gastronomy is not among them.

“I am afraid that the presentation of a dossier on gastronomy will not get far,” said Khaznadar during a round table discussion at the first “Gastronomy by the Seine” festival held this weekend on Paris yachts.

UNESCO started its list of “intangible” cultural treasures such as dance, carnival or other rituals in 2003.

In 2005, a UNESCO jury including several French members turned down a request by Mexico to have its culinary tradition recognised.

However, the head of the group campaigning to gain cultural heritage status for French food said it should fit UNESCO criteria because it is “a major element of French culture.”

President Nicolas Sarkozy said in February that France would lobby for its cuisine to be added to UNESCO’s list of cultural treasures, calling it “the best gastronomy in the world.”

The French bid will be presented to the UN educational, scientific and cultural body next year, with a verdict due in in 2010.

For Michelin-starred chef Gerard Cagna, UNESCO’s recognition would “allow us to keep alive a fundamental part of our culture.”

Many in French food circles are still stinging from a blow delivered in 2003, when the New York Times ruled that Spain had overtaken its Gallic neighbour as the epicentre of the gourmet world.”

[source]

From the nyt:

“Next to the Palais de la Découverte, just off the Champs-Élysées, is a flight-of-fancy sculpture of the 19th-century poet Alfred de Musset daydreaming about his former lovers. As art goes, the expanse of white marble is pretty mediocre, and its sculptor, Alphonse de Moncel, little-remembered. For me, however, it is a crucial marker. To its right is a path with broken stone steps that lead down into one of my favorite places in Paris, a tiny stage-set called Jardin de la Vallée Suisse.

“He took some of the pathetic, shabby squares and gardens and transformed and adorned them,” said Claude Bureau, one of the city’s great garden historians who was chief gardener of the Jardin des Plantes for more than two decades. “He appreciated….”

Read the full article

tags: france travel hidden gardens in paris

After getting a taste of a couple of French MOFs’ (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) awarding winning desserts and meals (Le Daniel and Paul Bocuse), we’ve since been on a mission to seek out and try out more and more (and more!) of them. Perhaps I’ll be shopping for new clothes here soon.

Les 5 Sens (The 5 Senses), a 2-year old modern and reasonably priced gastronomic restaurant in Avignon, is owned by Chef Thierry Baucher, an MOF. We were in the neighborhood last week, so we headed out with Jacques, Chloe and Noa (from Apres la sieste), in search of a yummy meal. Yes. We found what we were looking for and more. The meal was positively and incredibly memorable.

^{Chef Thierry Baucher working in the kitchen}

Note: You will notice that I forgot BOTH my cameras (I know. I’m a fired blogger!) so some of the photos were taken with the phone camera in very low light, and many of them just didn’t come out. I had to shrink the remaining of them. (The top photo is a scan from their business card.)

We sat outside in the courtyard on a beautiful, warm evening. The night kicked off literally with a bang starting with the amuse bouche, traditionally served before the first course. A small glass filled with a mixture of cucumber and tiny pieces of raw salmon.

Suddenly, my sweetie let out a little scream. Then Jacques blurts a little “woah!” Next, Chloe and I followed. The chef had sprinkled Pop Rocks (candy) into the amuse bouche. Pop Rocks, remember those fizzy exploding candy things?! (also known as Action Candy, and in France it was called, “Frizzy Pazzy”) A memorable amuse bouche (with mouths snapping, crackling and popping) if ever I knew one.

Everything that followed was excellent, so much so that everyone was fully concentrated on their meal for a while, oohing and ahhing in between.

Each dish and the dessert was truly unique and absolutely wonderful, and there were always unexpected twists in dishes. There’s not much to say, really, except that you must try Les 5 Sens if you’re ever in Avignon.

I had to sample the cheeses by Josiane Deal, another MOF! They were superb, and the sorbet made with roquette, lime and mint, perfectly accompanied the cheeses, as well as being really refreshing and singularly different.

So the chef heard that the blogger from Why Travel to France was eating in the courtyard, so he came out to chat with us. Kidding. I’m not sure why he came out to talk with us, but it was very sweet of him, anyway. Give that man a raise!

A last note.

The bathrooms are impeccably clean, which means only one thing: the kitchen is very clean. You know, that cleanliness advice from Anthony Bourdain in Kitchen Confidential?

A clean kitchen is a must.
Another last note: The bathroom has black toilet paper, which my sweetie thought was blog worthy. I agree.

Les 5 Sens
Place Plaisance (the restaurant is not visible from the street so you must enter the courtyard)
18, Rue Joseph Vernet
84000 Avignon, France
+33 (0) 4 90 85 26 51 (reservations recommended)
Hours: 11:30am to 2:30pm and 7:30pm to 11pm
Closed Sunday and Monday except in July

tags: france travel les 5 sens meilleur ouvrier de france avignon restaurants

Arts & Management International, bidding on behalf of an unknown (to us) client, received the winning bid for Monet’s Le Bassin aux Nymphéas for $80.4 million. Bargain!

“Le Bassin aux Nymphéas,” from 1919, a large horizontal work measuring more than 3 feet by 6 feet, is from a series of four that Monet signed and dated and that experts consider to be among the most important paintings from his late period. Unlike most of his late works, which remained unfinished at the time of his death in 1926, this series was sold by him. One is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; another was cut in two; and a third is in a private collection, having been sold at Christie’s in New York in 1992 for $12.1 million, a stellar price at the time…

Read the full article at nyt

From aol:

Where is the love, Parisians?

“… Radiohead were left with a row of empty seats at a recent French concert after a ticket giveaway backfired. The eco-friendly group announced 50 passes were available for their show at Paris’ Bercy Arena but fans could only get by cycling to their record label’s offices in the French city.

However, Parisians were not prepared to get on their bikes so 35 tickets went unclaimed. A source said: “Radiohead are using their current world tour to highlight their commitment to green issues. They advise all concertgoers to use public transport and are doing all they can to make their carbon footprint as small as possible. Unfortunately the French didn’t appear to share their noble intentions and roundly ignored the free ticket tactic.”

tags: france radiohead velib lazy environment unfriendly parisians

While strolling through the largest garden of more varieties of bamboo than you ever knew existed (about 40), you would imagine that you’ve found yourself in a far eastern land, a place surrounded by exotic flowers and plants (impossible to pronounce), hearing only the waft of a gentle breeze combing through the long stalks in a bamboo forest.

The zen-like ambiance of this unexpected garden has actually placed you in the Mediterranean climate of the south of France, not far from the town of Alès and two kilometers (just over one mile) north of Anduze. There are 34 hectares devoted to the cultivation of bamboo and other exotic plants from the Asia.

We’ve been wanting to see La Bambouseraie for long time now, so while we were south we decided to take a drive (about an hour) from our temporary home base in Saint Laurent des Arbres.

To satisfy the thirsty bamboo, more than five kilometers (3 miles) of irrigation canals are discretely blended into the landscape. With the sunny climate, ideal soil and a dependable supply of water, the bamboo can grow more than a meter (3 feet) a day.

La Bambouseraie de Prafrance was founded in 1855, and is the very first giant bamboo forest in Europe. Eugène Mazel, a native of the Cévennes who made his fortune by importing spices, began his bamboo collection while traveling through the French colonies of the Far East. After purchasing the domaine of Prafrance from its owner, Anne de Galière, he began to build his dream bamboo garden on the property. It now features water gardens, sequoia trees from California, traditional projects (Japanese garden, Laotian village), a garden labyrinth, a greenhouse and a nursery.

Oh! and some dwarf Vietnamese pigs. They look pretty humungous to me, though.

The Japanese Zen garden is relatively new to the park (2001) designed very true to Japanese style. The sculpting of the landscape took inspiration from the year it was founded, which was the Year of the Dragon. The Japanese garden’s form is dependent on the body of water it surrounds, so you’ll see the water wind through the garden like a dragon, both existing in harmony with each other. Note that “dragon” is an anagram of Gardon, the nearest river…

Dragon in the Zen Garden

For the rest of the post and to see a lot more photos after the fold click:

Back to its history. Because the park required so much maintenance, Mazel exhausted his finances and went bankrupt in 1890. The bank, Crédit Foncier de France took over and managed the property until November 1902 when it was sold to Gaston Nègre. Nègre devoted his life to preserving and ameliorating the park (a large part of the collection had been lost through neglect).

The park was later passed down to his son, Maurice Nègre in 1948. He fought hard to restore the park, which had been damaged by the floods of 1958, but he unexpectedly died in an accident in 1960. Luckily his wife took over to continue her husband’s work. In 1977, her daughter Muriel and son-in-law Yves took over managing the estate and development of La Bambouseraie. Muriel continues to run the business today.

Remarkably, only about a dozen gardeners are required to maintain the public areas and the nursery.

Although La Bambouseraie is closed to the general public part of the year, the park is actually a year-around source of bamboo events for zoos all over Europe. It also holds winter expositions in major European capitals and sells nursery stock.

Though it’s not very French and there are no rides or lively attractions, it’s a beautiful place and worth a look-see if you’re in the area and if you appreciate gorgeous gardens. You will probably spend no more than about 2 hours here, less if you’re quick. With your admission fee, you receive a 30 minute guided tour, which is worth taking but not obligatory, and you can purchase bamboo plants and flowers for your garden or home at the nursery.

La Bambouseraie de Prafrance
30140, Générargues, Anduze, France
Telephone (+33) 04 66 61 70 47
Website

Open March to November, every day from 9.30am to 7pm.

More photos below:

Black bamboo

Easily stressed out bamboo

We really loved the striped bamboo.

See?

Sequoias from California live here too.

Waterfall inside the greenhouse

A quiet corner of the garden.

Poems inspired by a poetic place.

tags: france travel La Bambouseraie bamboo garden in france

French company Louis Vuitton is up to its old misguided antics getting all litigious on guitarist, Dave Navarro (Jane’s Addiction, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Panic Channel). They’ve got their knickers in a twist over the fact that Navarro has been using a LV strap for his guitar. Um. I’d call that free advertising for LV! But nooooo. Louis Vuitton legal cronies sent the guitarist an ugly threatening letter expressing, “We have no doubt that this copying has been willful and is intended to trade upon the fame and cachet of the LV Trademarks to elevate the status of the infringing Guitar Strap, and of Jane’s Addiction.” Basically, they’re going to sue his ass if he doesn’t cease and desist his LV guitar strap use. Pffff.

Read about it on Dave Navarro’s blog, 6767

Related: Louis Vuitton is Suing a Darfur Fundraiser,
Getting Caught with Designer Rip-offs (Fakes) in France and Italy, iPod Cases from M. Louis Vuitton, Kawaii Contrefaçon

tags: france louis vuitton guitar strap dave navarro

[via]

I bet you haven’t seen this many dickheads all in one place, ever! Anyway. These AIDS prevention ads (“Just protect yourself”) recently won a bronze medal at the Cannes Lions 2008, an international advertising festival. The style and quality of the illustrations are wonderful. I wonder if people find these very “French”?

Advertising Agency: TBWA\PARIS
Country: FRANCE
Executive Creative Director: Erik Vervroegen
Creative Director: Erik Vervroegen/Michel De Lauw
Copywriter: Xander Smith
Art Director: Jonathan Santana
Illustrator: James Jean

[via]

On Saturday, June 21, the day before the Patti Smith exhibition Land 250 closes, the Fondation Cartier is offering a final opportunity for the public to meet the artist, who will also be signing the exhibition catalogues.

This event will take place in the exhibition area, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Land 250, Patti Smith at the Fondation Cartier
261, Boulevard Raspail
75014 Paris, France
tel (+33) 1 42 18 56 50
March 28 to June 22, 2008
For more information visit the museum’s website: Fondation Cartier

Related: David Lynch’s work at Fondation Cartier,Ron Mueck in Paris

tags: france patti smith fondation cartier

Alrightee then. French tax payers will pick up the tab for people wanting to learn how to line dance in France. GA!

From timesonline:

“The French administration has moved to create an official country dancing diploma as part of a drive to regulate the fad. Authorised instructors who have been on publicly funded training courses will be put in charge of line dancing lessons and balls.

The rules, which come into force next year, come after the rapid spread of country and western in France, where an estimated 100,000 people line dance several times a week. Jean Chauveau, the chairman of the country section of the French Dance Federation, said: “It’s growing at a crazy rate. There are thousands of clubs and more are springing up all the time.”

He said the French shunned the square dancing that is popular among country and western fans in the United States because it involved physical contact. “They don’t want to take anyone by the hand or anything like that,” he said. But they were passionate about line dancing, where participants follow the steps without touching anyone else. “I think this corresponds to the individualism of our times,” Mr Chauveau said….

Mr Chauveau said the trend illustrated France’s “complicated and ambiguous” relationship with the United States. “We love American magic and the American dream,” he said. “But we hate Americans when we confront the hard reality of their behaviour throughout the world. We go for the cowboy hats but not George Bush.”

In a peculiarly Gallic approach to the phenomenon, French civil servants say line dancing should be submitted to the same rules as sports such as football and rugby. This means imposing training courses for line dancing teachers and a state-approved diploma for anyone who wants to give lessons or run clubs.

Amateur instructors will have to take 200 hours of training under the new rules. Professionals will get 600 hours, including such subjects as line dancing techniques, “the mechanics of the human body” and the English (or at least Texan) language. They will also learn how to teach line dancing to the elderly.

The cost of the courses, about €2,000 (£1,570) for the professionals and €500 for the amateurs, will be largely met by taxpayers. Mr Chauveau said the regulations highlighted the French state’s obsessive desire to organise all public activity. “France is the only country in Europe apart from Greece where sport is controlled through the state,” he said. “Line dancing is now ….”
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tags: france line dancing french the french have gone insane

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When you exit le Palais des papes (the Palace of Popes) in Avignon along Rue Peyrolerie (which is more of a ruelle), you will find yourself at Place Daniel Sorano, dedicated to the French actor, Daniel Sorano (1920-1962), probably most famous for his role in the 1960 film version of Cyrano de Bergerac (here’s an extract). The art painted on the building, a quasi trompe d’oeil features writers, actors and characters from plays, and it’s really unexpected when you see it for the first time. Avignon’s theatre is just around the corner.

This fun and kooky scopitone is from the 60s and is called, “Comic Strip” featuring Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot. From what I can tell, Serge is beckoning Brigitte to come into his comic strip for some serious SHEBAM! POW! BLOP! and WHIZZZZ!

Click on the image to see the video at YouTube.

Isn’t this Hermès apple purse (and knife) adorable? Yes. It IS small and restricted in its use (ONE apple or keys or condoms or credit cards or change or an iPod Nano…some other stuff) but if it were bigger it wouldn’t be as CUTE.

Hermès

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Leave it to outside-the-box thinking* French designer, Philippe Di Méo, to design tableware inspired by sex toys. The collection of erotic tableware called, Souper Fin (which is a play on words of “fine dining” and “super fine”), was designed in collaboration with renowned luxury companies Baccarat, Goyard, Cristofle and Orfèvrerie d’Anjou among others.




Souper Fin will be exhibited at L’Eclaireur (Paris) in July. Each item will be complemented with a specially created chef’s dish and recipe. (I guess so you know how to use some of the utensils!)

* Philippe Di Méo once designed perfumes based on sweat, tears and saliva.

Souper Fin

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With all of the GMO (genetically modified organisms) laws being passed here and there and everywhere so the public never knows what they’re eating, gardening is becoming the new black. Why be left to wonder if you’re eating pesticides and other toxins when you can grow your own food. More and more people are turning to their own organic gardening so they know exactly what they are consuming. But what about city dwellers? Those fortunate enough to have a large basement are turning them into hydroponic artificially lit organic gardens. Apartment people have to turn to other methods. This is where resourcefulness and ingenuity come in.

French product designer, François Clerc, has come up with something so purely awesome: Graine de pot, a biodegradable, expandable garden pot that is great for urban gardening. How does it work? Plant your seeds, expand as necessary, watch your veggies, say tomatoes or courgettes or peppers, grow, enjoy them all summer and later in the fall throw all of it including the pot out into the compost. Hopefully, your city collects organic rubbish or you can just give it to a friend with a garden for compost.

Now if you can get your hands on non-GMO seeds, you’re in business – but that’s another matter.

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There’s an old comic strip by Gary Larson in “The Far Side” with two pictures. One shows a person receiving a harp with the caption, “Welcome to Heaven. Here’s your harp.” The other has a guy receiving an accordion with the text bubble saying, “Welcome to Hell. Here’s your accordion.” That is EXACTLY how I’ve felt about the merits of the accordion. However, there is a little tiny exception to my loathing of the accordion – accordions playing musette, which is a genre of French music from the 20s, 30s and 40s (being most popular in the 40s) – though it is a type of music I can only take in small doses. VERY small doses. It does have its own charm. Here’s a sample from youtube.

Sure, you can listen to musette walking along the fake cobble stones in the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, if you can stand it over the cacophony of slot machines (don’t forget to buy a croissant for $10) – but I GUESS it’s probably better to be sipping coffee and people watching at an outdoor cafe somewhere in France with musette in the background. Luckily Today, I hardly ever hear musette in France…until just about a week ago in Sarlat (Southwest France in Dordogne).

Surprisingly, the music seemed to all come together and make sense, and it was fun to listen to. Maybe it was the warm and welcoming atmosphere of a jazz club’s “cave” in a medieval village. Maybe it was the company of good friends and a happy public. Maybe it was because we were in France. I dunno. In any case, the evening was filled with “musetty-jazz” fusion. Not strictly musette, it was a small, mostly jazz combo with the centerpiece instrument being an accordion. Of course when we initially entered the club and I saw the accordion, my first thought was Welcome to Hell!!

I’m glad I was wrong.

Is musette making a comeback? Would it have worked outside a stone wall lined cavern in a medieval village in Dordgogne, France?

I wonder.

Related Posts: from Sarlat

Get some music at Amazon: Musette de France (3 CD Set)

Lumiere Technology digitized the Mona Lisa and describes the process.

Watch the video

Tags: paris, france, mona+lisa, louvre, art, videos, digitzing

On a lighter note, here’s today’s France photo. It’s a sculpture we saw at the entrance of a tunnel I think somewhere in the vicinity of Montpellier. It’s not particularly attractive but it does get your attention, if anything.

We hit the road last Sunday from Burgundy en route to Carcassonne in the south of France. We took a little detour to check out the Le Viaduc de Millau / Millau Viaduct, which was open to the public in 2005. I thought I’d share some photos.

To cross the viaduct you must pay a toll, which is higher during the summer! The summer rate is: 7.40 euros ($11.62) – and the non-summer rate is 5.60 euros ($8.79).

The actual bridge crossing is supported by the cables attached to the top of each tower, which is why, I supposed, they call it a “Cable-Stayed Bridge.” Probably the most common view of the viaduct is from this viewpoint (above).

The bridge connects the autoroute from Paris to Beziers at the point where it is bisected by the Tarn River, which runs through a wide gorge between two plateaus.

The Millau Viaduct took 4 years to build. It stands 280 meters (919 ft) tall (which is higher than the Eiffel Tower and is considered the highest bridge in the world) – and is 2.5 kilometers long (1.55 miles). It cost €394 million ($619 million) to construct.

From woostercollective:

Artist: Duster

Do most Americans even know who Tex Avery was? I’m not sure but the French sure know American cartoons and the people behind the cute characters from way back when. This year La Poste commemorates Tex Avery, a prolific American animator, cartoonist and director whose bold style broke away from the realism established by Walt Disney. Tex Avery would have been 100 years old today.

The French Post Office paid hommage to this great animator, and came up with the cutest postage stamps featuring Droopy, the mild mannered, monotone basset hound. Avery created Droopy in 1943 at MGM, which was originally called, “Dumb-Hounded.”

Everyone (I’ve asked) in France knows Droopy, and loves him. They’ll inevitably say, Droopy’s famous line in the most dreary, lifeless tone possible, “Vous savez quoi? Je suis heureux.” (You know what? I’m happy.)

Related: Stamps in France

From core77:

“Paris-based Architects Serero have won an open competition to redesign any of the Eiffel Tower’s public reception and access areas. Serero’s proposal is a temporary addition to celebrate the Eiffel Towers 120th Anniversary by extending the top floor without any modification to the existing structure. It will expand the usable floor area from 280m2 to 580m2.

The Eiffel tower in Paris suffers from its success. Since its creation the amount of visitors coming to reach its top has increased to reach its limit capacity. 6.5 millions People wait between 35 minutes to 1H10 to reach the elevators. The floor area of each level decreases with the height because of the tower geometry resulting in very long waiting lines and crowd management problems.”