Something for the Weekend (6th – 8th May)

More bad luck for Parisians this weekend – another public holiday lost because it falls on a Sunday! Whereas May 1st is sacrosanct though and many museums and other facilities were closed, expect far more widespread opening this time around (apart from the municipal museums).

Body Shops
A new exhibition began this week at one of the city's leading photography galleries, Les Douches La Galerie. Juraj Lipscher’s 'Body Shops' is a fascinating and discomforting look at a selection of sites where the human body is both central and absent, from maternity wards to the crematorium.

Read my review of the exhibition on Invisible Paris, where you will also find details about the location and opening times.

Faites l’Europe
The 8th of May commemorates the end of the 2nd World War in Europe, and the 9th celebrates the economic and political links across the continent that followed this event. To mark this date, a weekend of events will be organised on the square in front of the Hotel de Ville, including live music, films and theatre.

The full programme of events can be found here.

Soirée le Mur d'Expression
Feel like expressing yourself this weekend? Alongside the nice venue, live DJ and good company, the Des Monstres aux Skates collective (they spray monsters...on skateboards!) will be setting up a giant wall that anyone will be able to contribute to.

Saturday 7th May, 8pm to 2am
Le Rubis
140, rue St Maur 75011 M° Goncourt

Rues du Monde
Rues du Monde is a festival of musical events at La Villette, but its also a free festive event being held in the Grande Halle. The month-long festival is divided into four themed weekends, with this week's named Rue Flamenco. Brazilian bar and restaurant are running the events at the Grande Halle, and alongside the live music and dance shows, you'll also be able to sample caipirinhas, paes de queijo, smoothies, beer from around the world and street food from Brazil and the rest of the world.

More details can be found here.

Les 10 ans du Marché des Enfants Rouges
The Marché des Enfants Rouges is the oldest surviving market in Paris, so it seems somewhat strange to be celebrating its 10th anniversary. Before marking its 400th birthday in a couple of years though, the stall holders have chosen to celebrate the rebirth of a spot that was almost demolished a little over a decade ago.

Several days of events are being organised, giving you the opportunity to win a selection of prizes going from baskets of produce to weekend breaks, or simply just to (re)discover the market. Full details here.

Something for the Weekend (29th April – 1st May)

Bad luck for French workers this weekend as a Public Holiday falls on a Sunday. However, with the sun still shining, it will still feel a little like a holiday!

May Day Protests!
May 1st is traditionally a day to march and protest (this year the theme will be the perceived xenophobia of the French government) and as this year it falls on a Sunday, it is possible that many more people than normal may be taking to the streets. The march begins at 2.30pm at the Place de la République.

For those looking for places to avoid on Sunday, note also that a smaller annual Front National march takes place in the morning in the Opéra/Madeleine area.

On a brighter note, the streets should also be alive with the sweet smell of 'muguet' (lily of the valley) flowers which are traditionally sold everywhere on May 1st.

Open/Closed?
As Sunday May 1st is also a Bank Holiday, the question of whether certain sites are open or closed becomes complicated. The answers to your questions can be found here: http://www.paris.fr/accueil/accueil-paris-fr/paques-ouvert-ferme/rub_1_actu_83411_port_24329

Note that most museums and almost all swimming pools will be closed.

Foire de Paris
The Foire de Paris is 107 years old this year, and is a meandering bazaar incorporating 3400 exhibitors spread over 220,000m². Fortunately, as the theme this year is 'slow time', the experience should nevertheless not be too stressful!

The event was originally held at the Carreau de Temple, before becoming the reason behind the creation of its present home, the Parc des Expositions at the Porte de Versailles. Alongside the home, food and leisure exhibits, an interesting curiousity is the Concours Lépine which makes up part of the event. This annual competition rewards the best inventions of the year, and previous winners have included ballpoint pens, the iron and contact lenses!

Full details can be found here: http://www.foiredeparis.fr/

The Impressionists in Paris
Already a big draw, this exhibition at the Paris town hall (Hotel de Ville) shows how impressionist painters, incluidng Monet, Vuillard and Degas, captured Paris.

More details, including location and opening times can be found here: http://www.paris.fr/english/english/event-the-impressionists-at-the-hotel-de-ville-in-paris/rub_8118_actu_97309_port_19237

Note: this exhibition is one of those that will not be open on Sunday.

Art et Folie
The Hôpital Saint Anne in Paris is home to an unusual collection of 'psychopathological art', and even organised annual exhibitions of creations from around the world from people suffering from mental illnesses. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of one of these exhibitions, the Area gallery is exhibiting a selection of some of these creations.

Full details can be found here: http://www.areaparis.com/

Something for the Holidays

Holiday time again in Paris (for me too, but far from the city!), and many things to see and do. Here are a few of my recommendations.

Journée du Disquaire/Record Store Day

Every weekend seems to bring some kind of new celebratory event, and the next two are no exception. Saturday 16th sees one that grows enormously each year (it only begun in 2007), and this year it is arriving in force in France.

With the music industry in crisis, Record Store Day is a nod back to the golden years of vinyl. It is not just a celebration of 33s and 45s though, but also a way for artists to thank true hardcore fans. Many artists produce special limited edition releases, and independant retailers are also the site of inpromptu concerts and signing sessions.

A full list of events can be found here - http://www.disquaireday.fr/calif.fr/Accueil.html

4AM Project

The small hours of April 24th are the moment for the following event, for this is when groups of people around the world will be exploring their local environments at an unusual time. The idea is a very simple one - what does your world look like at 4AM? Go outside, wander around, take pictures then upload them on the event website!

http://4amproject.org/

Les frères Dufy

There's definitely something of a theme developing this season in Paris. After the launch of an exhibition celebrating the Caillebotte brothers, this week sees the beginning of one investigating the Dufys. As with the Caillebottes, one is well-known (here Raoul), and the other a more mysterious discovery (Jean).

Full details here: http://www.marmottan.com/francais/expositions/exposition-raoul-jean-dufy.asp

Manet the Modernist

Perhaps the biggest exhibition of the year in Paris has now begun at the Musée d’Orsay, with the first Manet retrospective in Paris since 1983. His role as a precursor of future movements is celebrated in this show in which he is declared the ‘inventor of modernity’. See the video introduction for the exhibition here.

"Manet, l'inventeur du moderne"

Musée d’Orsay

Until July 3rd

Watchers

If you're still not sure what to do, rather than watch TV, why not go and see a photo exhibition of other people watching TV? The theme is an unusual one, but the results are fascinating, and the location of the exhibtion - the Carré de Baudouin - merits a visit in itself.

Watchers

Until June 11th

Pavillion Carré de Baudouin

121 rue de Ménilmontant 75020, M°Gambetta

Something for the Weekend (8th – 10th April)

For me there is only one event this weekend - Obscura Day!

Even if you are not in Paris this weekend, you should find an event close to where you live. If you are in Paris, though, I am organising two events. The morning event - a visit to the Jardin d'Agronomie Tropicale is already sold out (although there might be a couple of returned tickets - let me know if you are interested), but there are still some tickets available for the evening event. Forest from 52 Martinis and Kim from I Heart Paris have helped me out with that event so it should be a lot of fun.

Marathon de Paris
If I was a braver person though, perhaps I would have entered the Paris Marathon which is taking place this Sunday morning (10th). However, even if - like me - you like your Sundays to be a little more leisurely, you can just watch the runners from a roadside café. Here's the map of the event to help you pick a nice spot.

Parr does Paris
British photographer Martin Parr rarely takes pictures in France because of the strict privacy laws. However, he was recently invited to take pictures of the working class and multi-ethnic Goutte d'Or district of Paris, and was given free reign to take snaps of anything he liked. The results are a colourful and fun look at a part of the city which normally only attracts bad press.

Full details on the exhibition can be found here, including a video interview with the photographer.

Until July 2nd
Institut des Cultures d’Islam
19-23, rue Léon 75018
M° Château Rouge or Barbès Rochechouart

Something for the weekend: Gardens Special!

Maybe it is because spring is finally upon us, but Paris has gone garden crazy. Here’s a look at some exhibitions on the theme currently running in the city, as well as some recommendations for some real outdoor exploration!

Nature et idéal : le paysage à Rome, 1600 – 1650
Until the 17th century, landscapes did not exist as a subject in painting, serving instead uniquely as a backdrop for portraits. This exhibition at the Grand Palais, featuring around 100 works from major museums and galleries worldwide, investigates the moment when painters begin featuring natural scenes in their own right, concentrating on artists based in Rome where the movement began.

Full information on the exhibition can be found here.
Until June 6th
Grand Palais

Jardins romantiques français
What better place for on exhibition on French romantic gardens than the Musée de la Vie Romantique? Featuring paitings, watercolours, drawings and plans, the exhibition covers two centuries of gardens in France from the early 18th to late 19th centuries. Although classed as French, the curious thing about these romantic gardens was that they were in fact Gallic versions of English gardens! Rejecting typical French formalism, these were open parks which although heavily landscaped were also attempting to recreate a natural environment. Picturesque and composed like paintings, these gardens featured hills and valleys, but above all water. Some of these gardens still exist today - others you will only be able to see today in the pictures of this exhibition!

Watch a video of the exhibition here.
A dedicated website for the exhibition also exists (in French): http://www.parismusees.com/jardins-romantiques/

Musée de la Vie Romantique
16, rue Chaptal, 75009, M° Blanche or Saint-Georges
Until July 17th

La Ville Fertile
With cities becoming ever larger and ever more populated, it is essential today to begin thinking about how they can also become more fertile. Through a series of highly theatrical and thought provoking installations, the ‘Fertile City’ exhibition at the Cité de l’Architecture investigates real and imaginary projects around the world, including in New York, Munich, Beruit, Argentina and of course Paris.

More details here: http://www.citechaillot.fr/exposition/temporary_exhibitions.php?id=161

Until July 24th
Cité de l'architecture & du patrimoine
1 place du Tocadéro et du 11 novembre, 75016

Les Dimanches du Galop
Every Sunday for the next 8 weeks, one of three racecourses around Paris will be offering free entry for a full programme of horse races. Although this initiative is primarily geared towards families (and there are a whole host of activities for kids planned), they also offer an excellent way to escape the stress of the city in what are perhaps the biggest green spaces in Paris.

The full programme can be found here: http://www.dimanchesaugalop.com/au-programmes-des-dag

Gardens to visit this spring
Jill who runs the Landscape Lover's Blog has posted a couple of suggestions for the best gardens to visit around Paris this spring. Discover which ones she has chosen on her blog.

Obscura Night
Finally, if you are interested in gardens and want to investigate one in an unusual manner (which also includes garden themed food and drinks) don’t forget the Obscura ‘Night’ garden event on Saturday 9th.

Something for the Weekend (25th – 27th March)

Band of Brothers
The Jacksons, the Wilsons, the Gallaghers... They don't always get along, but the dynamics created by family ties often make for interesting art. The impressionist painte Gustave Caillebotte is certainly well-known, but his piano-playing photographer brother Martial is less familiar to us. As this exhibition shows though, they had many of the same interests and worked on many of the same themes (music, boating, the new Haussmannian Paris), and were surely an inspiration to each other in many different ways. History does not record though whether they ever came to blows or smashed up each other's guitars.

Until July 11th
Musée Jacquemart-André
158, bd Haussmann, 75008, M° Charles de Gaulle Etoile

The Architecture of films
The Cité de l'architecture is running an interesting series of film showings each Saturday night this Spring, featuring a documentary followed by a cinema film. The sequence begins this Saturday with a documentary on the role of gardens in cities (Les Jardins font la ville), followed by Peter Greenaway's The Draughtsman's Contract (known as Meurtre dans un jardin anglais in English!)

Full details on times and prices can be found here.

A little wine tasting...
The twice-yearly Salon des vins des vignerons indépenants pitches up in Paris this weekend for its Spring visit. The procedure couldn't be simpler - pay 6 Euros at the entrance, pick up a glass (that you get to keep at the end), wander around the show and taste all of the wines that take your fancy (perhaps taking care not to swallow all of them!), and purchase the nicest ones!

Full details can be found here.

Cinema for the ears
Every two months or so Arte radio and the Point Ephemère organise a one-hour listening session in a cosy environment (cushions on the floor, low lighting) on a variety of themes. Join them this Sunday (5-6pm).

Full details can be found here.

Something for the Weekend (18th – 20th March)

Books Books, Books
This weekend sees the beginning of the Salon du Livre in Paris, but for those who prefer to read in English, the bi-annual English-language booksale held by SOS Help is this Sunday. All hardbacks are 2 euros, and paperbacks are just 1 euro. What’s more, it’s all for a good cause!

Sunday, March 20th, 12 pm to 4 pm
Orrick Law Offices
31, avenue Pierre 1er de Serbie
75016 Paris

Les Maisons Closes
Sylvanie de Lutèce breaks out from her monthly Monday history sessions at the Baron Samedi to propose a weekend of investigations into the theme of the maisons closes (brothels) in Paris. On Saturday evening she'll be giving a conference on the subject (where were they, who worked there, who were the clients as well as many other anecdotes) at the Centre Barbara Goutte d'Or, and on Sunday she'll be leading a walk around the Pigalle area, of course one of the most active parts of the city for this kind of establishment!

These two events are part of the wider 'Bastringue à Chateau Rouge' festival. Click here for full details on the other events being organised.

La commune, 1871 paris capitale insurgée
2011 marks the 140th anniversary of the 'commune', the popular uprising of the inhabitants of Paris against the powers in place. As the commune was proclaimed at the Hotel de Ville, what better place to organise the exhibition that recounts the story of the movement? Including over 200 items which illustrate the dramatic events of the period (including photographs, posters, prints and contemporary press reports) the exhibition attempts to cover both sides of the story.

Until May 28th
Salon d'accueil, 29 rue de Rivoli 75004
Open daily from 10am - 7pm, except Sundays and public holidays
Admission free

Free museums
If you buy a copy of the Télérama magazine this week, you'll find inside a voucher offering free entry to a number of participating museums (across the whole of France) this weekend. For example, a number of special events are being organised at the Musée des Arts et Metiers, or you could visit the fascinating exhibition on the France cruise ship currently running at the Musée national de la Marine.

Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th March

Click here for the full programme in the Paris region.