FIAC - Paris's International Contemporary Art Fair

The International Contemporary Art Fair (or FIAC) is an art event that takes place every year in Paris in October.

The 2014 edition was spread between the Grand Palais, Cité de la Mode et du Design, Jardin des Tuileries and Jardin des Plantes. Anyway, I'll leave it there and jump straight to the pics...

Studio Ghibli Layout Designs - Understanding the secrets of Takahata and Miyazaki animation

Miyazaki and Takahata...pure genius. This exhibitions presents over 1300 layout drawings from the 30 year history of Studio Ghibli, founded in part by Miyazaki and Takahata.

Think Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Grave of the Fireflies, Kiki's Delivery Service, Porco Rosso, Pom Poko, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, The Cat Returns, Howl's Moving Castle, Ponyo, Arrietty and many, many more.

And if you've not seen any of the films, then it's worth doing before visiting the exhibition. In fact, it's worth doing full stop.

Highlights include layouts paired with their corresponding movie snippets; and translations of humorous comments written by Miyazaki and Takahata to the artists.

Winter expositions at the Grand Palais

An overview of the winter exhibitions at the Grand Palais - all are worthy of a visit. For general information regarding the Grand Palais, refer to my Grand Palais guide.

1.  Hokusai - One of my favourite artists, and with a huge and varied collection on display, this exposition certainly delivers. It follows a chronological order, generally broken up according to the different aliases that Hokusai used throughout his life. It includes some of his famous Thirty-six views of Mt Fuji series, and my personal favourite, painting instruction manuals created during his Taitō period.

••  Runs 1 Oct 2014 - 20 Nov 2014 & 1 Dec 2014 - 18 Jan 2015 (Clemenceau entrance)

Paul McCarthy - Chocolate Factory

Paul McCarthy's exhibition originally consisted of two parts - the Chocolate Factory exposition, and a public sculpture in Place Vendôme.

In case you missed the news, the public sculpture was a 24 meter high green inflatable "Tree" in the shape of a butt plug. It lasted two days before being vandalised by closed-minded Parisians and consequently removed.

But the Chocolate Factory is still here, displaying McCarthy's distinctive works and ideas. The Chocolate Factory consists of a functioning kitchen creating the chocolates, and an immersive 8 room experience - based on the ideas of Christmas, consumption, commodity, capitalism, Western and American culture. Upon entering you become surrounded by flickering lights, ambiguous moaning, crazy-man scribbles and xmas chocolates. Let's just say you'll feel a little different when leaving compared to when you entered!

Craft beer near La Défense - La Caisses de Bières

Paris isn't known for its beer culture, but it doesn't take much searching to discover there are several gems to be found, and La Caisses de Bières is one such gem.

Its location is just outside of Paris, and I've given it a mention because it is a 5-10 min walk from La Défense. This makes it perfect for all the expats working in La Défense, helps to keep the prices down, and shelters it from the tourist crowds.

What makes it a gem?

••  It stocks Belgian and French beers, with around 300 varieties. Belgian beer making up the vast majority (and rightly so).

Le Corbusier and the golden ratio

Villa Savoye

I first stumbled across Le Corbusier whilst reading about one of my obsessions - the golden ratio. Le Corbusier was a Swiss-French architect who influenced modern architecture, and incorporated the golden ratio into his "Modular" design concept. And many of his buildings can be found in and around Paris.

But firstly, a few words on the golden ratio. I won't go into all the detail because you can find plenty on the net, but in short it is a mathematical ratio related to the Fibonacci sequence. It pops up in nature, and it is linked to what humans perceive as aesthetically beautiful.

But it doesn't stop there. Put on your physicist hat, and you'll discover the ratio also results from objects repelling each other. Switch to your biologist hat, and you'll discover that the growing points of living creatures are driven by dividing cells moving away from each other in the most efficient way (explaining why the ratio can be seen in nature).

Guide to Frank Gehry buildings in Paris

Fondation Louis Vuitton

With the upcoming opening of the Fondation Louis Vuitton, it seems opportune to do a roundup of Frank Gehry's buildings in France. There are three in France, all of which can be found in or near Paris.

Fondation Louis Vuitton: 

The newest creation, based on the concept of sails rising above the trees of Bois de Boulogne. Once finished it will be devoted to contemporary art.

The building also scores some green points, as it has been used as the pilot project to develop a new HQE standard for cultural buildings. HQE = High Quality Environmental standard, a standard for green building in France.

Defacto Spectacle 2014: Here... Elsewhere

This is a free annual fireworks show held in La Défense - this years will be the fourth edition. It is a little off the radar because technically it's outside Paris, and therefore doesn't get the same level of promotion that Paris events get.

This is great of course, because it means the crowds are smaller and more family friendly. None of the French car burning tradition to be found here!

The show is a mixture of lighting effects projected onto the Grande Arche and other nearby buildings, combined with pyrotechnics and sound. Based on my experience last year, the show is well choreographed, and the smaller 'stage' and audience means the syncing between sound and visuals are much more effective than your average pyrotechnics show.

The theme for this years show is a trip around the world.

The street art murals of the 13th arrondissement

One of my favourite things about Paris is its street art... And without question, 1st prize goes to the 13th arrondissement, where the local mayor and Galerie Itinerrance have been supporting the creation of large public murals by international artists.

So... for lovers of street art - below is a quick guide to the large murals and their locations (with artist names in brackets).

Allow 2-3 hrs to seek them all out, and keep an eye out for the countless smaller works along the way. The murals have been listed below in an order that follows an overall clockwise route...so following this order will be an efficient use of your walking / biking energy.

Auvers-sur-Oise: Van Gogh's final destination - a Paris day trip

The village of Auvers-sur-Oise was the final chapter in Van Gogh's life, and an easy day trip from Paris.

Van Gogh was particularly productive here, painting around 80 works over a 70 day period. This all ended however, when he suffered a gunshot to his chest. This is said to be a suicide attempt, although some contend that he was shot by someone else, by accident. In any case, he managed to return to his hotel and survived a further two days before passing.

What's there?

••  Large signposts featuring an image of the relevant Van Gogh painting, placed next to the building or vista which was the subject of the painting - This is the highlight of the trip, as it provides some insights into his works that you would never see from the paintings alone. It's also worth pointing out that there are only five or so signposts where this comparison can be made easily. The remaining signposts are less interesting, as they show locations where the scenery has significantly changed since 1890, or show the locations of portraits, or show the paintings of other artists.

Raw Vision - 25 ans d’Art Brut (final week)

An exposition celebrating the 25th anniversary of Raw Vision - a London magazine based around non-conventional contemporary folk art or "outsider art". This outsider art concept is what makes the exposition, with most works tapping directly into the deep subconscious place from where the most innovative and creative art comes from.

Small blurbs throughout the exhibit provide insights into the outsider artists - artists that have experienced illnesses, disabilities, different states of mental health, persecution, imprisonment etc etc. Freedoms that have been taken away from the artists, but inadvertently allowed them to achieve creativity that many can only dream of.

Atelier Brancusi - Sculptor Constantin Brancusi's workshop

Atelier Brancusi is a reconstruction of Constantin Brancusi's studio workshop, and definitely a hidden gem worth visiting. It preserves his sculptures, drawings, tools and furniture in their original arrangement.

His studio originally existed in Montparnasse, at 11 Impasse Ronsin, now part of a hospital complex. When Brancusi passed away, he left his studio to the French government on the condition that the studio and its contents be preserved exactly as he left them. It was first reconstructed at the Palais de Tokyo, however this installation was considered inadequate by many. It was then reconstructed next to the Pompidou, however this replica was eventually closed due to construction and curatorial issues.

Lucio Fontana - Retrospective

Lucio Fontana is an Italian artist, best known for founding the art movement of spatialism...or spazialismo as the Italians would say, at the top of their voice, and with their arms waving around excessively.

The best description is always the art itself, but if I was to put it into words, Fontana's approach was an attempt to break away from traditional art forms, and to create art that projected into the space beyond the artwork itself, and to explore the use of space itself in his artworks.

Fontana explored spatialism in several ways, all of which are on display at the exposition:

••  Early sculptures and ceramics - Fontana's early sculptures were abstract and figurative but you can see a uniqueness in his works which was evidently the beginnings of his spatialist concepts.

Tatoueurs, Tatoués - Exposition at Quai Branly

Tatoueurs, Tatoués (Tattooists, Tattooed) - an exposition exploring the history of tattoo artists and tattoos, as you may have guessed, from their origins through to current times.

The exposition starts with the origins of tattooing, which is said to date back to 3350 - 3100 BC. It looks at the reasoning behind tattoos in these earlier cultures - a mark of initiation rituals, an indicator of marginalisation, a mark of social prestige, a mark of punishment. In general, a sign of belonging or not belonging to a group.

It then continues on with tattoo history - circus sideshows, tattoos in Japan, tattoos in North America, and tattoos in Europe. Each has an interesting past of tattoos growing and falling in popularity, interplaying with historical events.

Martial Raysse - Retrospective 1960-2014

An exposition following the chronology of French artist Martial Raysse. It starts with his early works: pop art; fluorescent colours; assemblies of consumer objects; and neon tube art.

The exposition then follows Raysse as he moves away from pop art and develops new styles: paintings separated into fragments and then rearranged; film and video; small paper mache sculptures; paintings inspired by mythology; figurines made of scrap materials; large sculptures; and large pictorial fresco paintings.

Raysse's variety of styles and mediums is what makes the exposition - Raysse injects originality throughout them all. I won't say more, you'll just have to check it out yourself.

The Centre Georges Pompidou - a newbie's guide

The Centre Georges Pompidou is one of the top three museums in Paris, housing modern and contemporary art. In terms of art periods, roughly speaking, Pompidou takes over from where d'Orsay finishes.

There is a permanent collection spread over 2 large levels, and there are high standard temporary exhibitions on the 6th and/or 1st level.

Highlights:

••  Atelier Brancusi - A reconstruction of Constantin Brancusi's actual studio, complete with his workshop and tools, and display room of his sculptures. It's the highlight of the highlights. It's housed in a separate building, which can be found at the north end of the piazza area outside the Pompidou. Entry is free, but it is only open in the afternoons.

Motion Factory - the secrets of stop motion animation

This exposition explores the work and methods behind stop motion animation. It presents a selection of short films, alongside making-of videos, alongside displays of the storyboards and miniature figurines, models and sets. The short films are also played in a cinema on the big screen.

Around 20 films are given this treatment, including my new favourite - Panique au Village (A Town Called Panic). (If you're not familiar, check it out - it's a comedy based on the adventures of Cowboy, Indian and Horse, who live together under some strange sharehouse arrangement. You'll have to trust me. There is a feature length movie and several shorts, many of which can be found on YouTube.)

Le Mur: La Collection Antoine de Galbert - review

Le Mur (The Wall) is an exhibition of contemporary artworks currently showing at La Maison Rouge. It celebrates the 10th anniversary of the art gallery, and presents the personal collection of Antoine de Galbert, who founded La Maison Rouge.

It is a random selection from his huge collection and hence is a mixture of various styles and artists. The most important factor in an exhibition like this is the individual taste of the private collector - and in this case, I can definitely say I like his taste. Moreover, the variety on display should ensure most will enjoy.

In addition to this, the exhibition also plays on a few interesting concepts.

Musée du Louvre - a newbie's guide

Musée du Louvre is the biggest and deservedly well known art museum in Paris, and if you only have time for one museum, this is the one. It covers ancient civilisation art, Islamic art and Western art from the Middle Ages to the 19th century.

Highlights:

••  Mona Lisa - I recommend reading a little about the innovations that Leonardo achieved with this painting so that you can appreciate it more.

••  Venus de Milo sculpture.

••  Cupid and Psyche (Canova); Captive - The Dying Slave (Michelangelo); and the rest of the Italian sculpture section.

Love Lock Bridge - overburdened with love

The Pont des Arts (aka Love Lock Bridge) was recently in the news when a section collapsed under the weight of the locks. It's a pedestrian bridge that embodies an ancient tradition dating back to... err... 2008, where you symbolically seal your love into a lock, attach it to the bridge, and throw the key into the Seine.

The result - a bridge completely covered in locks...two bridges actually...

1.  Pont des Arts - between the Louvre and the Institut de France.

2.  Pont de l'Archevêché - near the south-east corner of the Notre Dame.

In true Paris style, the former is said to be for committed love, and the later for lovers.