Spotlight on Contemporary Creation in Paris
From Street Art to Independent Galleries, Here's Where to Find It
Spring always makes me see a city differently, and Paris is no exception. While (as I’ve said elsewhere), I take issue with cliché accounts of spring in the capital as some sort of technicolor musical, the sudden, pleasant incursion of green shoots and bright blooms frames everything in more arresting light.
Color seems to pop in ways that it doesn’t, during the shorter, darker days of autumn and winter. So a mural that might not have impressed itself on me as I scurried down the rainy street to take shelter indoors from the miserable cold might suddenly draw me entirely in, leaving me surprised by its beauty (or weirdness. Or both). It’s interesting how color, in other words, tends to make you notice more of it.
With that (admittedly odd) observation in mind, I wanted to spotlight a few important ways to take in contemporary art and creation in the city— in ways that are accessible and easy for the uninitiated.
To start, take a look at our in-depth guide to some of the best independent galleries in the city: smaller, intimate spaces where you can explore the work of international artists in multiple forms of media, and attend events like openings for up-and-coming artists.
Next up, Paris Unlocked Contributor Rachel Naismith takes you on a self-guided tour of some of the most interesting street art in Paris. It takes you from Belleville, where emblematic urban artists such as Ben and Jérôme Mesnager worked, to the sleepy, village-like “microquartier” called the Butte aux Cailles, where legends like street artist Miss.Tic— who sadly passed away last year at only 66— have left their iconic marks on numerous walls and buildings. It also explores urban creation in several other districts, from Montmartre to the Marais.
What’s different about this account of “l’art de la rue” is that Naismith actually offers a bit of history, showing how street art gained both popular interest and acceptance from the wider French art world as a legitimate form of expression.
Tacking away momentarily from the subject of art, we recently investigated the interesting history of the cannelé (now commonly spelled canelé), a little cake invented in Bordeaux— possibly by nuns with too many egg yolks on their hands. Well, maybe not literally.
Shaped like large gumdrops or striated cylinders, and boasting a deep caramel hue and pleasing sheen, cannelés have an interesting— and possibly fortuitous—history. Read more about how they might have come into being, and tips on where to taste some of the finer specimens in Bordeaux and Paris.
Next, I’ve got three new exclusive features for paid newsletter subscribers this month.
I start with a look at the recent (and much-delayed) opening of the Maison Gainsbourg, a house and small museum dedicated to the life, work and legacy of French chanson legend Serge Gainsbourg.
It comprises both a tour of the house where Serge worked and lived for 20 years until his death from a heart attack in 1991, and a museum across the street at 14 rue de Verneuil where visitors can browse some 25,000 artifacts and memorabilia, including artworks, manuscripts, personal items of clothing and jewelry, and other items belonging to Gainsbourg. There’s also a guided audio tour narrated by Serge’s daughter, the actor and musician Charlotte Gainsbourg.
My next exclusive post takes you on a whirl through three cheerful n’ bustling covered markets in Paris, showing you how they’re emblematic of a Parisian warmth and community spirit that tourists often don’t get to see.
Plus, you can procure some truly superb cheeses, fresh vegetables and fruit, wines, tapenades, fish and numerous other goodies at these markets, while chatting with vendors and observing local life.
Lastly, I recently spent a morning exploring a small museum I’d only heard of recently, the Musée Nissim de Camondo. Located in a mansion overlooking the Parc Monceau that one might call a “folly”, in that the exteriors and interiors attempt to recreate an aristocratic 18th-century abode.
Walking into the courtyard of the estate at 63 rue de Monceau— just blocks from where the French novelist, Marcel Proust, lived at 45 Rue de Courcelles— you might feel as if you’re approaching the grandiose entrance of a palace contemporary with Versailles.
Despite my decided lack of enthusiasm for 18th-century art, furniture and antiques, the (tragic) backstory of the museum left me sufficiently intrigued to pay a visit. Find out why by reading on.
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Well, les ami/es, that’s about all I have up my sleeve for today. As always, I appreciate your continued support and readership, and encourage you to visit the Paris Unlocked website to dig into our archive of in-depth stories, features and France-related travel tips. Scroll down to see just a few I recommend this month.