VINGT Paris News

ARBOR 2 - Conférences electronic music, abstract video, poetry and science

2009-11-22T11:51:00+01:00

This week a group of artists will be coming together to celebrate the double anniversary of the illustrious scientists Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and Charles Darwin. Arbor 2-Conférences is a remarkable melange of electronic music, abstract video, poetry and interviews with scientists. All of this is rolled into two holistic 40-minute spectacles, the first being dedicated to Lamarck and the second to Darwin.

VINGT paris spoke with two of the contributors to the project Gino Favotti, responsible for the music and video, and Patrice Cazelles, a poet. They explained that Arbor as an idea arose eight years ago partly as a reaction to the homogenisation of work in their fields and partly as a result of conversations Favotti had had with scientists. Conceived with the intention of being innovative and experimental, the project aims to present a dialogue between art and science in the form of a socially relevant multi-disciplinary work.

The socially relevant aspect is of course due to the well publicized clash between Darwinism and creationism that has erupted in the last decade or so. While Arbor 2 is not inherently a political work, the unfortunate truth is that the shadow of creationism and intelligent design is never far from any contemporary discourses concerning Darwin the man or his theories. Appropriately, Favotti and Cazelles were keen to stress the inbuilt educational facet of Arbor 2. As they themselves are not scientists their interviews with scientists that form part of Arbor 2 take on this educational role while trying to avoid didacticism. While belief in creationism remains a predominantly American issue, Favotti and Cazelles believe Europe is underestimating the importance of this fundamentally dangerous ideology and is not doing enough to combat the its spread. The two men hope Arbor 2-Conférences will in its own small way address this problem and bring it to the attention of a wider audience through celebrating and discussing the work of the two great biologists.

Arbor 2 also boasts the perfect Parisian location for such an event by taking place in the marble clad Grand Amphithéâtre of the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle located on the edge of the Jardin des Plantes. If you intend to attend you are advised to get there early due to limited space.

23 November : Lamarck et le transformisme : 11h – 11h45 (Free entry)
24 November : Darwin : sélection naturelle : 15h30 – 16h10 (Free entry)

Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle

57 rue cuvier

Paris5

WIN tickets to Diptyque's 'Wycinanki' Candle Launch

2009-11-18T17:30:47+01:00

Text by Eva Krysiak

Candle and perfume retailer Diptyque are launching three special Wycinanki candles for their winter Christmas collection. 'Wycinanki' are traditional Polish cut-outs, whose delicate motifs depict the animals and plants of the local region. The Wycinanki were used as decorations at home during celebrations and festive seasons, and especially during Christmas.

The Diptyque candles will come in three festive scents of Christmas: Sapin, Benjoin and Marrons grillés. The launch party of these candles will take place on November 26th, and VINGT paris have two invitations (each admitting 2 guests) to give away to readers.

For a chance to win send your top 20 festive suggestions for Paris to news (@) vingtparis.com.

Conversation with photographer Matthias Schaller - Purple Desk

2009-11-18T17:24:10+01:00

Text by Kay Roberts -

Opening tomorrow evening, Thursday 19th November

PURPLE DESK is a 30 part work, a series of 30 photographs, the offices of the cardinals in the Roman Curia, the Vatican City. Matthias Schaller was given access to these rooms, making portraits of place, but without the presence of each cardinal. The series was realised between 2004 and 2008 and is now a book published by Editions Steidl, this will be shown at the chapel, along with 2 other books by the artist published by Steidl. On Thursday at 16h there will be a book signing of PURPLE DESK at Paris Photo, just a few minutes from Église Saint-Roche, where the installation is shown.

Any installation is site specific, a synergy of work and space, relating to its immediate particular environment; here PURPLE DESK reveals itself from the moment the church is entered, the perspective down the nave gives, in several positions, glimpses of the installation, which is placed in the chapel behind the altar. There, in the back chapel, a constructed 12m x 14m purple painted wall has the photographic series, 5 across by 6 down, hung 3m above floor level, echoing the placement of paintings in the church, visible but not really viewable in detail. Behind the scaffolding of the wall is a statue of Christ on the cross. From the church nave the cross on the alter matches Christ's position exactly. Nothing in this installation is by chance.

There is the necessary physical presence of the viewer, the conceptual basis of the artist. Matthias Schaller studied anthropology: 'the study of human beings, their origins, institutions and religious beliefs'. Religion is in question, based on the unseen, it's saints and even Christ without an actual face ever portrayed. Schaller had seen the small medieval painting of St Jerome in his Study by Antonello da Messina and this is an important reference in PURPLE DESK, a visual model. St Jerome sits in his purple cardinal's robe, calmly reading, framed by his books, one of his attributes. Every object a symbol - there is a peacock for spiritual renaissance, resurrection.

In the photographs in the Vatican, Schaller styled the offices of the cardinals, carefully clothing them in pertinent objects, the desks have a front profile echoing an alter, the uniform lighting giving a feeling of artificial reality, rather like a set, these are not documentary photographs. The size of the photographs, although not exactly the same as the painting, are similar. The purple painted wall is of specific colour, although the cardinals have several hues of that colour, which denotes power in the Catholic church.

The details of each office can be seen in the edition, the installation must be experienced in the church. Here is a unique chance to see how Matthias Schaller's series PURPLE DESK works in situ, a place the artist feels is perfect for the work, along with the reproductions of each of the 30 beautiful, meticulous photographs in the book produced by the Editions Steidl.

Église Saint-Roch at 296, rue Saint-Honoré, 75001

Metro: Pyramides, Tulieres

20 to 26 November, viewing times 10-18h.

Hamlet Cabaret Théâtre de l’Odéon

2009-11-18T14:50:45+01:00

Text by Joanna Bronowicka

Matthias Langhoff finally returns to the Théâtre de l’Odéon with his extraordinary interpretation of the most staged tragedy of all time. In Hamlet-Cabaret he has dissected Shakespeare’s play into sparkling and entertaining fragments. Surprisingly, in the dreamlike ambiance of an old cabaret resounding with absurd humor and vaudeville melodies, the original text reveals its full beauty once again.

Langhoff sits his audience at café tables in front of two asymmetric stages, where Hamlet’s friend Horatio becomes a female, Horatia; Ophelia is not a noblewoman, but a daughter of a public functionary; Prince Hamlet is played by an actor twice the age of his mother, Queen Gertrud; his uncle Claudius, played by an actor from Burkina-Faso, speaks with a heavy African accent; and a live horse makes several silent appearances on stage.

In keeping with the practice of radical interventions into classic texts, initiated by Heiner Müller, the play is intercepted with Shakespeare’s sonnets, John Donne’s poem, German songs and even a degustation of a German beer, which prepares the audience for the double dose of Hamlet’s most famous monologue, recited on the theatre’s balcony and then again on the stage. Despite these interventions, not for a moment does the play lose its humorous, yet lyrical charm. For those further interested in the trends originating from East Germany, Théâtre de la Ville proposes a version of Sophocle’s Philoctetes by Heiner Müller until November 21.

Hamlet Cabaret, until 12th December

Théâtre de l’Odéon

Place de l’Odéon

Paris 6

Metro : Odéon

Pershing Hall Hotel

2009-11-18T14:23:57+01:00

Text by Eva Krysiak

Pershing Hall Hotel provides a striking blend of sensory titillation. Dramatic green, red and pink lighting cloaks the walls and the smell of fresh mint and limes wafts from the cocktails. A vertical, botanical wall provides the centerpiece of the downstairs lounge - at 30 metres high and spanning two floors, it provides a dramatic setting.

Rooms are decorated in neutral tones with four different price ranges available, from 450 to 1070 euros. At the lower end of the scale, the standard rooms feature a 25-30m2 space, with a tiled bathroom featuring a spacious shower. The most luxurious rooms available are the suites, featuring a living room and bedroom, a bathroom with a bath and shower, and, if you’re lucky, a balcony. For the health conscious there is both a fitness room and spa.

Pershing Hall

49 Rue Pierre Charron

Paris 8

Metro: George V, Franklin Roosevelt & Alma-Marceau

La Semaine du Fooding - bad taste?

2009-11-18T13:38:46+01:00

Text by Anna Bromwich, image from Deadliciousnation

The Semaine du Fooding is almost upon us. Coinciding with the release of the new 2009 Guide du Fooding the week of culinary madness kicks off on the 30th of November. The theme is Les Incorrects, - who wants to eat food that is politically correct when there’s horse Carpaccio on offer? The Bureau de Fooding, the group behind the Guide and the week’s events, are not one for following rules, grammatical or gastronomic. The Semaine de Fooding proposes an anarchic week of events that challenges food etiquette to the hilt and culminates in a shindig in a disused 1929 art deco swimming pool, Piscine Molitor. Download invitations on their site from 29 November- 10 euros entrance and proceeds go to the charity Action Contre la Faim.

Interestingly some of the dishes served up this week will be familiar to our proverbial French grandparents. Some recipes from the history books that didn’t quite stand the test of time and are now considered a little improper. When did we stop eating odorous cheese with champagne? Are Le Fooding kidding when they say the next stage is Veuve Cliquot with maggots? Equally intriguing are the masked chefs who will be feeding their customers dishes that you would never find in their own restaurants around Paris. They have been given free rein to create something forbidden, defective and deviant. In a country not known for a squeamish attitude towards food, the San Pelligrino sponsored Zorros will be sure to come up with the shock factor.

It has been said that the apex of French cuisine is innovation. It is this artistry that brings fame to French chefs and maybe brings La Semaine de Fooding in line with tradition in it's daring. After recovering from the week's events you can taste this theory for yourself with the Bureau de Fooding’s guide to the best restaurants in Paris, accompanied by quirky illustrations from the Escher-like graphic designer Istvàn Orosz and Le Fooding‘s new find, Thomas Brissot.

VINGT EVENT Paris Photo 2009 at the IMA

2009-11-17T07:30:00+01:00

Philippa Brangam writing for VINGT Paris.

Join us for a special event at Paris Photo, the world's leading annual event for photography from 23 different countries - see our recent preview.

As part of the Paris photo events programme, VINGT paris will visit the Arab World Institute for a round table discussion on Thursday 19th of November. Catherine David, curator of numerous exhibitions and author of publications on Arab contemporary art has selected photography from Tehran, Dubai, Tunis, Marrakesh and Beirut giving a picture of a clearly emerging but poorly documented scene.

The discussion will be led by David with several invited artists also speaking, among them; Yasser Alwan (photographer, Cairo), Yto Barrada (photographer, Tangier), Bahman Jalali (photographer, Iran), Walid Raad (Lebanese artist, teacher at Cooper Union NY, member of the Arab Image Foundation in Beirut), Maria Golia, author of « Cairo, City of Sand » (2004) and « Photography and Egypt » (to be published on January 2010).

If you would like to join VINGT paris for this exciting event please RSVP here . We will be meeting for a mint tea and to enjoy one of the most panoramic views in Paris at Le Zyriab at 5.30pm and then go on to the auditorium to enjoy the round table at 6.30 pm.

James Ensor's Everyday Macabre

2009-11-14T12:44:00+01:00

Text by Stephanie Wells

James Ensor’s works on display at the Musée d’Orsay until February 4th, are the painterly equivalent of a firm handshake and mischievous smile. His fixation on the lighter side of death and fixation with mortality is omnipresent in his painting. Ensor lived, and depicted, between reality and the afterlife with peculiar ease. He brought skeletons to the attic of his childhood home, dressed them up and painted them with such a vivid palette they seem to be almost living again. Frenetic, joyous, dancing, somber and inquisitive, they all have their place in Ensor’s world. These otherworldly models represented his disgust for the inhumanity of man and his conflict with religion.

Natural light became his representation of spirituality and how he interpreted divinity. Erroneously labeled, in his opinion, an Impressionist, he rejected the movement as soulless. Instead Ensor’s works concentrating on light were deeply personal, yet physically massive and poorly received by the public at the time. Smarting from rejection, his future works would leave little room for translation, reek aggressive sarcasm and flaunt his absurd sense of humor - in a sense, late 19th-century punk rock.

Ensor was incredibly innovative for a man who rarely left Ostend, Belgium. A gifted harmonium player, flautist and composer, his music was nearly as important to him as his art. Contemporary artists, including rock duo They Might Be Giants, and Japanese filmmaker Hiroshi Teshigahara, have paid homage to the Belgian rebel-with-quite-a-cause. His annual Dead Rat Ball is still celebrated in his beloved Ostend. His avant-garde style subsequently influenced Paul Klee, Felix Nussbaum and the surrealist movement of the 20th century. Referencing his love of music, the Musee d'Orsay is presenting a series of concerts and musical workshops of Ensor's compositions and artwork. Irrepressible artist, musician, agnostic, taste maker, composer, activist for creative freedom and a man obsessed with mortality and himself, James Ensor knew how to make an eternal impression.

James Ensor
20th October 2009- 4th February 2010
Musée d'Orsay
1 rue de la Légion d'honneur
Paris 7