VINGT Paris Magazine

Bonom takes art to the skies: can graffiti be legal?

2010-09-03T10:16:45+02:00

Text: Rooksana Hossenally. Images: various.

No one really knows this mysterious chimpanzee who swings from building to building, spray cans and rollers at the ready. Like all superheroes, the artist who goes by the name of ‘Bonom’, wears a mask and never reveals his real identity. Scouring the city for large wall spaces, he prefers to work at night within the city’s shadows. One of Paris’ most respected 'clandestine' artists, Bonom is also one of the most prolific.

You may have seen his monumental works of intricate animal skeletons and other creatures floating close to the sky on the non-descript grey façades of various buildings. His works are dashed with an eerie quality making them instantly recognisable. Most are found in the 11th district of Paris; if you look up at number 123, rue Vielle du Temple in the Marais, you will see his enormous, somewhat gory, boar on a spit (pictured above). For his minotaur you’ll have to go to rue de la Traversière towards Ledru Rollin. As for the myriad fish bones and other animal figures, we won’t spoil the surprise; they will without doubt jump out at you from hidden corners when you least expect it. The artist is also very present in Brussels and Luxembourg but little else is know about him. Footage filmed by a Belgian television channel, shows him at work on a ten storey building - the scale of the piece alone makes it one of the most impressive of his works. In addition to his artistic skill, he is also nifty at climbing and abseiling, enabling him to reach the most difficult spots well away from City Hall's cleaning squads.

He explains that he loves his figures to appear as though they are floating above the city, almost dancing. For Bonom, the adrenaline rush comes from the ‘show’ that unravels as the sun rises and the unsuspecting waking population catches sight of the emerging painting, completed the night before.

In a short documentary realised by the Coup 2 Pouce Association, Bonom expresses his dislike at being called a ‘graffiti' or 'street’ artist because he works in various mediums, not just in the streets. In the documentary, he is shown to be creating a motion-sensitive light painting after which he explains that like the light installation, the streets are merely another vehicle for creation.

In June this year, Bonom’s street paintings led to his arrest for vandalism in Brussels. Although the outcome is said to be uncertain, it is clear that Bonom doesn’t just attract negative attention. The media is smitten by him: “Does this bother you?” a reporter asks him after his light painting installation. “No, it's just the logical progression of things, isn’t it? I have done everything to get attention I suppose, so now I can’t complain.” Time will tell if he will continue to paint in the streets or under the bright spotlight of trendy art galleries.

Bonom’s arrest highlights interesting issues that often surface when we talk about urban art that surrounds freedom of expression, the space given to advertising and the definition of art. Many demand a decriminalisation of graffiti. But do graffiti artists actually want the authorities to cut them some slack? Isn’t the element of illegality and danger half the thrill? In an interview (above) with Lézarts Urbains’ Alain Papiower, the line between crime and art is questioned. It seems that the two go hand in hand. There is no ‘real’ graffiti without crime. The crime dimension increases the challenge and the respect for the artist who succeeds. If Bonom’s works had been commissioned by the council, his skill probably wouldn’t have earned the same respect. To see the artist at work, watch this footage of him painting his infamous gorilla, which was filmed by a passer by one night in the centre of Brussels. This medium of expression will not disappear; the authorities’ battle to eradicate graffiti is in vain because street art will never really have the same effect in a constrained context and time tells us that the movement is still very much alive. The element of surprise, risk and respect is absent in the galleries; it has a completely different artistic quality in the streets as graffiti or 'urban art' is largely inspired by street features. For example, Bonom’s painting of a giant fox tumbling down the side of a building in Brussels wouldn’t have the same sly mocking aspect and wouldn’t entail the same skill if it were painted on a gallery wall. Is the location of a painting then, what defines it as art? At last year’s Né dans la Rue (Born in the Streets) exhibition held at the Fondation Cartier, a huge throw-up by AMAZE was spray painted onto the façade of the museum and it was called ‘art’ without any qualms. Is it that graffiti becomes art only once you take it out of the streets? This leads us to conclude that the debate surrounding urban art is a lot more complex than trying to explain away its illegality. Real graffiti artists – those who still go out chasing surfaces in the streets – are often mixed up with all types of looters, but the adrenaline rush from the illegal dimension as well as from chasing the most inaccessible surfaces of the city and escaping the police make up half the thrill. So let’s enjoy the work of those who succeed instead of mourning those who don’t. After all, the jungle doesn’t stop here - the survival of the fittest still applies.

Paris the Hot Spot for Fall

2010-09-01T19:54:24+02:00

Text and Image: Aran Cravey

Late upon arrival and now, it appears, early to depart, summer’s graces seemed to have slipped by Paris with out even a merci or an au’revoir.

But not to fret, art fans! September brings with it a bevy of hot museum and gallery exhibitions to make you forget summer’s chilly demeanor.

All the buzz among the contemporary art market insiders is that Paris is set to be the new… well, Paris. What with entrepreneurial mega-art dealer Larry Gagosian opening what will be his 9^th gallery world-wide, just off the Champs-Élysées during FIAC, Paris’ October contemporary art fair, it would appear that the city is making a revival as a new force in the international art market. Gauging by the powerhouse programs galleries have planned for fall, Paris is more than prepared to meet the challenge.

For the next two weeks, galleries across town will be flooded with frenzy, as collectors, dealers, artists and enthusiasts return from their holiday hibernations eager to mix, mingle and see what new creations await. Galleries throughout Beaubourg and the Marais will be opening their doors this Saturday evening September 4^th, with an exciting selection of contemporary talent.

JGM Galerie presents two simultaneous solo exhibitions with young, French artist, Chourouk Hriech’s “Cirrus and Ice Melody” and acclaimed, American artist Laurie Simmons’ “The Love Doll: Jours 1-17” in what should make for a compelling contrast, as well as boundary-bending exploration of reality and imagination.

Galerie Magda Danysz also doubles your pleasure with exhibitions by Christian Gonzenbach and Alain Delorme. An up and coming artist in the Swiss contemporary art scene, Gozenbach’s multi-media projects are known for their absurd, though arrestingly lucid representations of reality.

Art everywhere in Belleville

While this weekend holds much in store for contemporary art fans, it is only the beginning of what should be a thrilling season. Next week, all the buzz is about Belleville’s Biennale. Straddling the border between the 19^th and 20^th arrondissement, Belleville is quickly becoming home to a community of contemporary artists and cutting edge galleries. The Biennale organizers endeavor to highlight both the area’s new artistic talent, as well as the international culture of its largely immigrant population.

Galleries are not the only venues in which to see top contemporary art this fall. The Château de Versailles will continue its series of mixing the old and the new as they host the Japanese artist and one-man industry of Takashi Murakami in mid-September.

The list of jaw-dropping names continues with Musée d'art moderne de la Ville solo exhibitions of Basquait and Larry Clark in October. With an explosive Fall calendar as exciting as this, summer in Paris seems so last season.

L'Alhambra

2010-09-01T12:26:21+02:00

Text: Nick Forrester

A quiet street around the corner from the Canal Saint Martin. A few up-market restaurants, trendy shops and bobo boutiques as well as a job agency, a workers union and a few ateliers that never seem to open; here lies the Alhambra. Not much goes on on in the daytime apart from kids smoking outside the Lycée a few doors down.

The atmosphere tends to change however when there’s a show in town but this is only five to fifteen times a month, so most of the time all is quiet but the infrequent performances stand out. Primarily a music venue, but sometimes moonlighting as a theatre the Alhambra attracts everything from Jazz Manouche to Electro. Previous performers include Calvin Harris, Dick Rivers and Sophie Huriaux.

The crowd that each artist attracts is particularly conspicuous. One hot July afternoon Japanese megastar Gackt arrived in town with his band Yellow Fried Chickenz to play to a packed Alhambra audience. Throughout the afternoon this normally chic and subdued area was transformed, by way of a significant amount of pink hair dye, knee length Dock Martins and long leather jackets, into Paris’ first punk arrondissement.

The Alhambra was opened in 2008 and it was seen as a modest resurrection of the old Alhambra, which was located nearby at 50 rue de Malte. The old theatre has impressive history. Built in 1866 it housed 2500 seats and hosted circuses, opera, theatre and music. It was one of Paris’ principle venues for a hundred years and as well as hosting some of the finest opera, classical music it was also a temple of Jazz in the 50s hosting the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald. Due to financial reasons it was forced to close in 1967.

The new Alhambra is certainly far more humble venue but it has an air of class, with an art deco lobby, modern interior and quality sound and lighting. Also, its eclectic bill of performers and theatrical production is always worth checking out.It is only a small venue, with room for up to 800 (600 seated) and as such it is a fantastically intimate place, particularly when you consider seeing the likes of Calvin Harris performing.

L'Alhambra

21 rue Yves Toudic - 75010 Paris
Métro République or Jacques Bonsergent

Normandie Impressioniste: A Festival of Light and Inspiration

2010-08-30T11:00:15+02:00

Text: Aran Cravey In 1863, the artistic powers that be slammed the salon doors in the faces of those who would ultimately go on to change the face of art. What the Paris art elite lost, the rest of world gained, as Manet, Pissarro and those who followed redefined painting with their impressions and, according to most art history books, started the wheels turning for an artistic revolution.

But, according to art historian Jacques-Sylvain Klein, it took more than a rejection letter to bring about a revolution. In fact, it was the capricious skies above Normandy that helped inspire a new approach to painting and a new way of thinking about art.

This summer and continuing into the fall, more than 250 events will take place as part of a province wide festival dedicated to Normandy's proud role in the birth of Impressionism. Klein, along with other organizers of the festival, builds a strong case for Normandy's influential role in the history of art. It would seem that everyone from Delacroix to Degas, Corot and Morisot lived in or regularly visited France’s northern province.

What they found there was a mesmerizing luminescence, unlike any light found in Paris or elsewhere. So transfixed was Monet by the changing shadows and shades cast on the facade of Rouen's cathedral that he painted the scene close to thirty times. Eleven of Monet's cathedral series, as well as twenty-eight studies by Pissarro and countless other works by the masters of light are exhibited at the Musée des Beaux-Arts of Rouen.

The festival provides an extraordinary opportunity to not only see Impressionist masterpieces side by side, but also a chance to delight in Normandy's luminescent wonders in the series of concerts, lectures and spectacles organized throughout the festival’s run.

Whether, Normandy is to thank for Impressionist painting and the trajectory of art that followed might be a hasty declaration to make. Fortunately for us, Normandie Impressioniste offers a plethora of delightful opportunities to find out.

Normandie Impressioniste

Various events running through September 2010

Parce Que l'Art Est Une Fête!

2010-08-29T13:05:47+02:00

Text: Aran Cravey

Indeed, art is a party this summer in Normandy! France's northern province pulls out all the stops in celebration of artists, both young and old.
From summer's start, Normandy has been highlighting its inspirational role as muse for one of (if not, the) greatest transformation of modern era art.

Normandie Impressionniste is a festival not to be missed, and luckily, it will be continuing through the month of September. As lofty as its reputation as art muse may be, Normandy has not forgotten its humble, youthful beginnings. This weekend in the coastal town of Cabourg, seven young photographers will be at the center of attention for what promises to be an exciting artistic exploration, as well as, one heck of a party!

With the same independent spirit that spurred an artistic revolution over 100 years ago, the team behind 'Project Cabourg' set out to create a festival that would celebrate the talent of young photographers without compromising their artistic freedom. It is for this reason that the photographs exhibited run the spectrum of styles, with their only common denominator being quality, according to the festival’s creators. Without the constraints of a specific motif or conviction, the Project’s chosen artists have full rein to express their creative curiosities in an atmosphere that encourages imaginative exploration.

Cabourg has long been the inspiration for some of France's greatest artists, with its beauty and charm beguiling all who visit. This weekend it continues its role as muse of both art and pleasure.

Cabourg Project: Edition Zero

Rendez-Vous International des Jeunes Photographes

August 27^th-30^th, 2010

Aragon et l'Art Moderne

2010-08-26T12:40:31+02:00

Text: Kay Roberts Louis Aragon had a long life. Born in 1897, he died in 1982 at the age of 85.
‘Aragon et l'art moderne,’ the exhibition currently on display at the Musée de la Poste is a necessarily selected survey from a long career as a poet, novelist, journalist and long-time friend and collaborator to some of the 20th century’s most celebrated artists.
Divided into three time periods, the show is a snap shot of Aragon's participation in the political alliances and artistic movements of the era, as illustrated through his paintings and publications.
The show highlights Aragon’s work during his involvement with the 'intellectual transformation of Dada' from cubism and fauvism to surrealism. Aragon, along with writers and fellow French Communist members Paul Éluard, Andre Breton and Philippe Soupault, explored the boundaries of experimental writing, taking the absurdity of Dadaism into a realm that became known as Surrealism. The exhibition features poems and images from Aragon’s Surrealist involvement, as well as a short film of artist Henri Matisse, made during the writer’s long researched biography that finally came to press in 1970. The film presents Matisse working in his studio, showing all the delicious domestic objects we know so well from his still-life paintings. Small, though essential key works by Max Ernst, Jean Arp, Man Ray, Paul Klee and Ferdinand Léger are also featured in the collection.
In 1934 Aragon and André Malraux attended the Congress of Soviet Writers, where both became interested in the social aspect of art, one with a more educational and ideological focus. Selections from Aragon’s involvement in Russian Socialist Realism are represented, along with other politically conscious works, such as John Heartfield’s satirical photomontages. As the editor of the communist funded news pamphlet ‘Les Lettres Francaises’, Aragon published a shockingly uncritical edition on the occasion of Stalin's death, causing a stir, as by that time the Russian leader’s crimes were well known. A copy of the text is displayed along with the controversial portrait of Stalin as envisioned by Picasso. Despite the turmoil, Aragon remained a convinced Communist all his life. Less political pieces in the exhibition include the more sensual abstract works that represent the poet’s friendship’s with artists Chagall, Giacometti, Miro, Masson and Delaunay.
Louis Aragon was a writer about art never, an 'art critic', a term and occupation he deplored. Among his many writings were 'La Peinture au Défi' (’65) (or 'Paintings Challenge') and 'Ecrits sur l'art moderne' (‘81). Aragon kept close ties with his artist colleagues and developed new connections with socially aware artists, such as Christian Boltanski. His classical poems were also often used in popular songs; such is the place of a poet in French culture.
The Musée de La Poste presents a fascinating glimpse into Aragon’s world through a dynamic collage
of ephemera: post cards, drawings, paintings and letters from friends, much of which is on loan from the Moulin de Villeneuve. ‘Aragon et l'art moderne’ provides access into the life and creations of an important philosophical
and intellectual catalyst, around which artists revolve. 'Aragon et l'art moderne'
Musée de la Poste34 Boulevard de Vaugirard
Paris 75015
Mon-Sat 10-6
Entry 6.50 euro
On until 16 September

Visa Pour l'Image 2010

2010-08-26T11:42:04+02:00

Text Brendan Seibel - Summer has been an absolute disgrace and you have every right to be disgruntled about grey skies and frequent downpours. If you're contemplating one last attempt to squeeze a little vacation out of this dismal season Perpignan is the destination. Photographers and fans from around the world are descending on this Mediterranean town for the 22nd Visa Pour l'Image festival.

Two weeks of roundtables, exhibitions and special events will feature some of today's best photojournalists. Professionals are discussing this year's banner topic: the consequences of an increasingly digitized and altered photographic landscape. Others may want to stop in at Elle Magazine's roundtable on the portrayal of women, debates on rights and orphan works, or any of the digital media workshops being hosted.

Several journalists will be presenting their works including Michael Nichols (National Geographic), Paolo Pellegrin (Magnum), Brent Stirton (Getty) and Ziv Koren (Polaris). Nightly screenings are being held in the majestic courtyard of Campo Santo where tributes will be paid to Willy Ronis, Gilles Caron and Dennis Stock, along with the year's highlights and features on South Africa, Haiti, the Korean War and more.
The greatest treasure remains the exhibitions throughout this medieval Catalonian city. What better excuse to explore churches and convents than the opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of contemporary photography?

Couvent des Minimes:
Veteran shooter William Albert Allard is receiving a career retrospective. Famed for his work in National Geographic, Allard has probed cultures dismissed by stereotypes and misunderstanding. His landmark exploration of the Amish and Hutterites people, the Untouchables of India, cowboy holdouts and juke joints are worth their own event entirely.

Reportage by Getty Images photographer Walter Astrada left his native Buenos Aires for Spain, but his work spans the globe. The heartbreaking, often brutal imagery has brought the horrors of sexual violence in Congo, the murder of women in Guatemala and the exile of transsexuals in Paraguay into the public eye. This exhibition will focus on violence against women in India.

Geo Magazine sent Belgian shooter Cédric Gerbehaye down the Congo River, which produced this collection of dreams and fog that captures the complexity of one the world's most desperate places. Contrary to the usual bloodshed these pictures deliver a nuanced look at the people along the river, including an amazing portrait of Laurent Nkunda.

Parisian Guillaume Herbaut has done several essays on the fallout from Ukraine's Chernobyl disaster. His pictures are marked by trust and intimacy, allowing for some of the most humanistic work covering the nuclear meltdown. This year's collection investigates the scrap metal trade fueled by radioactive leftovers of the exclusion zone.

One of the world's revered masters, William Klein, is also receiving the retrospective treatment. Collections from four cities - New York, Rome, Moscow and Tokyo - cover his earlier years behind the lens.

Tackling the complicated landscape of the former Soviet Union is Polish born and Georgia-based Justyna Mielnikiewicz. Her work explores worlds of transition throughout Crimea and Ukraine, and this exhibition narrows the focus of her lens onto the tempestuous South Caucasus.

A master of form, color and light, Japanese photographer Kazuyoshi Nomachi is one of the few photographers allowed into Mecca. Daubing the rich canvas of religious ceremony with the striking palette of his advertising background Nomachi conjures a world of mysticism and feverish visions. This exhibition will be the artist's first in Europe.

Stephanie Sinclair has witnessed the battlefields of Iraq, the legacy of self-immolation in India, the strength of the outspoken Mukhtaran Mai. Her access is unbelievable, her subjects close enough to touch. Visitors will find themselves led into the unseen world of fundamentalist Mormans who secretly live lives of polygamy.

Other exhibitions include works by Antonio Bolfo, Corentin Fohlen, Grégoire Korganow, Olivier Laban-Mattei, Tanguy Loyzance, Andrea Star Reese and Gali Tibbon.

Eglise des Dominicains:
The highlight of this event will be Tomas van Houtryve's exploration of the world's last communist states. From Cuba to Nepal, China to Moldova, this VII photographer takes a fresh look at places subjected to cliche and stereotype. Even better are the two clandestine trips into North Korea, the world's most reclusive country. Also exhibiting are Michael Nichols, Athit Perawongmetha and Munem Wasif.

Other showcases are taking place at the Couvent Sainte-Claire, Castillet, Caserne Gallieni, Chapelle du Tiers-Ordre and the Arsenal des Carmes. If you're overwhelmed, start with the Palais des Corts where Carsten Snejbjerg's stunning essay on the migrants of Calais will be shown.

All exhibition venues have free entry through September 12th, 10:00-20:00. The screenings at Campo Santo begin at 21:45. For all other events check the festival's website and choose carefully.

Visa Pour l'Image 2010
28 August-12 September
Perpignan, France

Jardin de Shakespeare Open Air Theatre

2010-08-18T13:06:48+02:00

Text: Nick Forester

Back in 1857, in the years following the foundation of the Bois de Boulogne as a public park, a small open-air theatre, the Théâtre de Fleurs, was founded.

Over the following century the theatre encountered various problems with heightened competition and fell in to disrepair with the arrival of the First World War. Fortunately though, there remains a theatre on the same site today.

The Jardin de Shakespeare was founded in 1953, with help from the Amis de la France and the then chief of Paris' public gardens and parks, Monsieur Joffet.

The theatre is set in the Pré-Catelan area of the park and has five small gardens, each named after a Shakespearean play. It hosts both French and English language productions in the Spring and Summer months, with London's Tower Theatre Company visiting every June since 1992.

This year two 17th Century comedies are taking to the stage and with one from each side of le Manche, there is a healthy spread to please Anglo-French tastes, even though both are performed in French.

Molière's Les Fourberies de Scapin is running until the 29th August, representing France and an ever so slightly lesser know play is representing England this September, Ben Jonson's Volpone.

Les Fourberies de Scapin is something of a romp, heavily influenced by Italian comedy. Moliere's exuberant characterization and conceited play on the notion of a happy ending make for entertaining and accessible viewing.

Volpone carries a more deeply satirical tone. The popular black comedy is set in Venice and often considered amongst the finest Renaissance Comedies ever.

This summer the Jardin de Shakespeare provides a delightful setting for an evening’s entertainment, novel for visitors and residents alike.