modern – The Cultural Exposé

Why you need to go to the Musee du quai Branly the next time you’re in Paris

Matilda — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 07:04:38 +0000

I had a whale of a time in Paris last spring, hitting up the usual suspects – shout out to the Louvre! – and eating all the good food. But I can’t, for the life of me, figure out why the Musée du quai Branly fell off my radar: it’s totally my kind of museum. Committed to promoting the art of indigenous cultures from Africa, Asia and the Americas, quai Branly has been going strong for only 10 years – but in that time it’s produced culturally-rich and thought-provoking shows that’s made it a brilliant institution in its own right. I popped in on a recent day trip to Paris and discovered five more reasons it’s so dope:

1. It’s along the river Seine

And might I add, you can’t miss it, mainly because it’s insanely close to the Eiffel Tower and…

2. …it’s housed in a weird and wonderful building designed by Jean Nouvel

The great thing about modern museums is that they tend to go HAM on the architectural front, and Nouvel’s multi-structural, earthy-toned compound in the middle of a garden is every bit eclectic as it is distinctive.

3. It’s the French version of the Barbican – but better

And by that, I mean it’s humongous (not ugly, though some might beg to differ) and feels more like a destination space for chilling than just checking out whatever exhibition(s) are on show. For instance, they give up their outdoor space to revellers during the annual Siestes électroniques – a music festival that takes place in the summer.

Matahoata, Arts & society of the Marquesas Islands

4. There are some solid shows on the schedule this year

On my visit I got to whizz around three great shows: Matahoata: Arts and society in the Marquesa Islands, which highlights cultural artefacts from one of the most remote islands in the world (on until 24th July); Dakar 66: Chronicles of a Pan-African Festival, a retrospective of stunning artefacts from a ground-breaking arts festival in Senegal in the ’60s (on until 15th May); and Persona, Strangely Human – a intriguing presentation of the relationship between technology and humanity (on until 13th November).

5. You can make it a day trip – 2 hours from London and a 30ish min jaunt from Gare du Nord.

Gotta love the Eurostar.

Visit the Musée du quai Branly website to find out more.

Many thanks to Alambret Communication for the invite.

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What we’ve been up to (in Paris)… The Centre Pompidou

Matilda — Wed, 11 Mar 2015 12:30:27 +0000

I love pop art, so hitting up this show at the uber-modern The Centre Pompidou was a no-brainer. Jeff Koon is considered to be one of the world’s most expensive artists (his work can fetch for $25 million upwards) an he’s produced a collection of iconic and controversial pieces in the last 40 years, many which feature in this small retrospective. There’s the 1989 Made in Heaven piece of him and his wife, tha MJ and Bubbles sculpture and of course, the Balloon Dog (Magenta), which appears to be the show’s centrepiece and clearly a favourite amongst the visitors. It’s unbelievably metallic, but such is the incredible level of detail that you’ll be tempted to touch it to find out. While the show features plenty of fun stuff to take selfies with, one of my friends who came with me found it all a bit “meh”, and I could understand why – without

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the Koon backstory, the work here is just a pick and mix of kitsch and quirky artwork without the meaning that comes from a more meticulously curated (or larger) show. Still, it’s a whistle-stop education in a contemporary American artist who, though a bit Marmite, does what he does quite well. Had we stayed a bit longer for our €13, it might have been worth checking out some of the other Pompidou exhibitions, including a Hervé Télémaque retrospective (on until 18th May) and the What Is Photography? exhibition, an exploration of the medium in modern times (on until 1st June). www.centrepompidou.fr/en/The-Centre-Pompidou (Nearest Metros: Rambuteau)

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Somewhere you should go… Beautiful Crime Concept, Covent Garden

The Cultural Exposé — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 11:35:26 +0000

If you’re looking to get your mitts on some exclusive art this Christmas, a new pop-up art store featuring rare works from established and emerging artists will be coming to Covent Garden this winter. Beautiful Crime Crime Concept (BCC) will offer a range of prints and gifts showcasing pieces from 25 artists, including Tracey Emin, Banksy and Jonathan Yeo. The temporary venue will also host a series of interactive events such as “Mug Shot My Face” on November 30th: artist Russell Marshall with turn you into a “beautiful criminal” in the style of his acclaimed screen prints of celebrity mug shots (see below). Until then, you can visit the store from November 15th until December 29th – and for more info about forthcoming events, visit: www.beautifulcrime.com

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