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Palais de Tokyo: Carte Blanche All of the Above

18 Nov

On of my favourite contemporary spaces, the Palais de Tokyo, is undergoing massive renovations, and during this time are hosting selective exhibitions in the atrium and main auditorium.

John M Armleder curated a All Of the Above, by presenting a variety of art works by 20 different artists (including sculptures, videos, and paintings) in an non-traditional manner.  He staged the works on a multilevel platform allowing the viewer only a frontal viewpoint.

This intriguing display method gave me a whole different perspective and challenged the way I typically evaluate and look at art.  Generally by passing video – the small monitors really stood out between the imposing works around them.

Eva Nielsen at Dominique Fiat

18 Nov

The second solo show of this young emerging artist Eva Nielsen at Dominique Fiat gallery exhibiting really impressive scale of painting.

Nielsen combines black and white screen prints of industrial architecture embedded in luscious painterly landscapes for a beautiful compelling body of work. Her technique emphasizes the contrasts of dark and light and the incongruence of imposing developments and industry in the natural landscapes.

Thomas Hirschorn

15 Feb

Thomas Hirschorn is a conceptual artist who builds familiar yet disjuncted spaces, with a lot of brown packing tape and plywood.


Universal Gym at Gladstone Gallery featuring makeshift gym equipment, tvs showing pulse rates and biological rhythms, and the usual mannequins in vitrines.

Much more relatable than the last show of Hirschorn at Galerie Chantal Crousel called Concretion Re, some kind of narration on the body, manipulation and mutilation, disease, and torture. Concretion Re involved heavy amount of photos of mutilated bodies surrounding them mutilated mannequins, and ducttape the glue that held the ceiling and floor together.

Yasumasa Morimura at Thaddeaus Ropac

14 Apr

The brilliant and funny Yasumasa Morimura exhibition titled Requiem for the XX Century at Thaddeus Ropac.

Morimura transforms himself into heroic and iconic portraits. This portrait of himself as Che was hung facing a small video screen previewing the live recording of the character.

Morimura’s work has used icons from Western Art historical traditions, for this exhibition as a reference he used very iconic cultural historic figures.

Xavier Veilhan at Emmanuel Perrotin

12 Apr

The Emmanuel Perrotin Gallery has two locations, one at 76 rue de Turenne and the other just down the street at 10 impasse Saint Claude.

Xavier Veilhan’s feature exhibition titled Furtivo, which means movement, was an akward juxtaposition of works. Singularly you can see how each piece is negoting the theme of movement, yet the exhibition lacked unity.

At rue de Turenne, a shark, then legs underwater of galloping horses, then these automatic self-functioning air hockey tables. Mechanical, cold, yes ok movement.


Dramatically polar space of Saint Claude location, Veilhan created these skyscapes with heavy votive candles placed behind perforated metal canvases. Warm, fluid, radiant.

On a sidenote, I saw Moriko Mori in the gallery, working out the space for her up coming exhibition there.

ORLAN at Galerie Michel Rein

10 Apr

ORLAN, she is her own canvas. Since the begining of her career she has used (by photographic documentation) her surgical and medical interventions as her artform.

All the works are in ORLAN’s exhibition at Galerie Michel Rein are titled Refiguration Self-hybridation, indian-american series.

The use of lightboxes was interesting. Very selfobessed in an Orlan way.

Barney Kulok at Galerie Hussenot

9 Apr

Barney Kulok is a great contemporary photographer who’s work comments on surveillance, and the cracks between the spaces around us… looking objectively at common places.


The lower level of the Galerie Hussenot, is a great big open white space. The prints are massive, yet you still manage to feel really small in the big void of empty space. In the context of this particular show of Barney Kulok, it worked. The gallery space echoed what we feel in Kulok’s photos.

The upper level had a video featuring 12 screens of surveillance feed on highspeed, zipping past us the narratives of streetcorners and parking lots at night. The content wasn’t persuasive but the warm glow was pretty.

Barbara Prézeau and Inés Tolentino at JM’Arts

6 Apr

I had never heard of the The JM’Arts gallery at 36, rue Quincampoix 75004 Paris, walking past I was loured in by the glittering icons in Barbara Prézeau’s painting in the front window.

This exhibition featured to female artists of west Caribean origins, Prézeau from Haiti, and Inés Tolentino from the Domincan Republic. In an adherently feminist method, both artists use embroidery in their works.

Prézeau creates complex alters to the Virgin Mary. Her use of mashup mixed media, found objects, refuse, cans and scraps, glitter and sequins make a very strong yet intimate shrines to her as titled “Godess Icon”.

Inés Tolentino refrences love, heartache, and the subtext religious notion of devotion in her embroidered paintings. Use of the stitching, print work, and the bleeding paint is humours and touching. The embroidered gun is remarkable handwork!!

Galerie Agnes B PostPunk ColdWave

5 Apr


DANSEZ!! Glowed in the entrance of the collective show at Agnes B Galerie du Jour!
Featuring music, photos, and memoriabilia about the music scene in France from 1978-1983.

This exhibition is a fun. Polaroids, concert posters, and listen rare or unreleased listening stations, gives a priviledged glance into a great musical era! Also a remarkable indicator of the current revival in Post punk ColdWave, seen in new music and fashion.

I could relate to this show as North American doing Blondie and CBGB’s in NewYork… The one most dominant eye catching pieces in the show was definatly these stunning paintings by Philippe Huart, black and white hyper realism, and clearly labelled NOT FOR SALE!!

Philippe Bradshaw at Thaddaeus Ropac

23 Mar

Philippe Bradshaw hangs coloured chains to create these stunning vibrant murals or more like tapistry.
Using Pop Art Warhol-esque symbols and icons, other times superimposing video projections, the layers of chains which create a massive swaying tableau.


Exhibitions in Paris

23 Mar

April in Paris, its raining…. why not check out …

Elmgreen & Dragset, amorphose sculptures dressed by the biggest couturiers in Paris, at Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, 76 rue Turenne, 3e.

Allan Sekula, short films and photographic works about workforce and labour at Galerie Michel Rein, 42 rue Turenne, 3e

Gilles Barbier makes the imaginary and fantastic visible in lifelike sculpture at Espace Claude Berri, 4 Passage Sainte Avoye, Paris 3e

Laurina Paperina, cartoonesque, humouristic commentaries like how to kill a Cattelan, Murakami and Van gogh, at Galerie Magda Danysz 78 rue Amelot, 11e
Cyrille Danakil and Stephane Sednaoui show the female body in a fluid and feminine way at Galerie 208, 208 blvd St Germain

Saul Leiter first time exhibition of his photo works in France, at Fondation Henri Cartier Bresson, 2 impasse Lebouis, 14e

Rankin, photos by celebrated and slightly misogynistic British fashion photographer. At Acte 2 Galerie, 41 rue d’Artois, 8e.

Grafitti and Linguistics – Casse-Toi

14 Mar

When refused a handshake, French President Nicolas Sarkozy angrily responded “Casse-toi Pauvre Con”. Shortly after, the non-French speaking world asked “what is the translation of Casse-toi, and the french newspaper Le Monde responded in a hilarious article of how this phrase was translated by newspapers around the world. The Herald Tribune wrote “Then piss off you bloody idiot” and the AFT as “Then get lost, you stupid bastard.” French profanity at its best, Casse-toi Pauvre Con in the ruelles of the Marais spraypainted on the walls.

Candida Hofer at Yvon Lambert

12 Mar


Candida Hofer is part of the new wave of large scale photographers. These massive photographs interogate the sensation, conditions, and the notion of space and how space is represented.

At Yvon Lambert, the photos exhibited are locations in France, like the BNF national library, and the Hall of Mirrors in Versaille. The complete absence of human presence in these still historic lieux.

TEN MUST SEE PARIS GALLERIES

6 Mar

1. La Maison Rouge
Located in a former industrial building, the gallery was conceived by its founder Antoine de Galbert in 2003. The exhibitions are often organised by independent guest curators, providing challenging or controversial shows but nonetheless always notable in their contribution to the current contemporary art scene in Paris. Next door is a branch of Bookstorming – a great haunt for art book lovers.
· 10, Boulevard de la Bastille, 75012, lamaisonrouge.org, +33 1 40 01 08 81. Artists: Luc Delahaye, Tetsumi Kudo, François Curlet, and in September 2008: Andrea Blum, Christian Boltanski. Open: Weds-Sun 11am-7pm (Thurs 11am-9pm). Entrance: €6.50

2. Marian Goodman Gallery
The heavy portal on the rue du Temple is always closed making this treasure easy to miss. Pressing the entry bell beneath the simple bronze name-plaque of Marion Goodman Galerie will reveal one of the most important and prestigious galleries in Paris. The ground floor gallery space runs alongside the right wing of the building naturally lit by several floor to ceiling windows and in one of the basement level galleries is a crypt-like vaulted space where you can view videos of, or about, the artists on show.
· 79, rue du Temple 75003, mariangoodman.com, +33 1 48 04 70 52. Pierre Huyghe, Annette Messager, Tony Cragg, Thomas Struth, Dan Graham. Open: Tues-Sat 11am-7pm. Entrance: free

3. Passage de Retz
Another easily missed gem towards the southern end of rue Charlot in the Marais lies behind an enormous dark green heavy door. During the day, the door-within-the-door is open, through which you enter into a beautiful courtyard, enticed by a lone piece of silvered sculpture. Through the archway and to the right is a modest entrance into the small café and gallery shop. Nothing so far will prepare you for the maze of rooms beyond, where one magnificent gallery space leads to another. The shows are always unexpected in their range of artists, medium and content from Sheila Hicks’s exceptional textiles to Russian propoganda posters, and the “packaging” of French Presidential candidates.
· 9 rue Charlot 75003, passagederetz.com, +33 1 48 04 37 99. Open: Tues-Sat 2pm-7pm. Entrance: €8

4. Galerie Xippas
In the parallel street to Charlot is one of the most famous jewels in Paris’s crown of galleries – Yvon Lambert – reached across a small courtyard off rue Vieille du Temple. But the approach also leads you past YL and up a staircase which itself is worth a view. The broad flight of wooden steps reaches up to the Xippas gallery which is wrapped around the glass roof of the Yvon Lambert downstairs. This dramatic space shows photographic artists including Valérie Belin, Valérie Jouve and Philippe Ramette and painters Chuck Close, Ian Davenport, Lisa Milroy amongst others.
· 108 rue Vieille du Temple 75003, xippas.com, +33 1 40 27 05 55. Open: Tues-Fri 10am-1pm, Sat 10am-7pm. Entrance: free

5. Galerie du Jour Agnès b
The woman behind the designs is also an ardent collector of contemporary art. The white clean lines of this street-fronted gallery, just a baguette’s throw from the Pompidou centre, could be mistaken for a design atelier – but once inside it’s a serious-minded gallery that has exhibited Gilbert & George and Martin Parr. A second, much bigger gallery space is reached by going through the ground floor and out across the courtyard.
· 44 rue Quincampoix 75004, galeriedujour.com, +33 1 44 54 55 90. Artists: Lucien Hervé, Hugues Reip, Kenneth Anger, Mike Lash. Open: Tue-Sat 12pm-7pm. Entrance: free

6. Galerie Pierre-Alain Challier
Pierre-Alain Challier, the engaging and knowledgeable owner, takes time to tell you what you’d like to know about the pieces he shows in his gallery. A great space, over three floors (including a roof garden) provides a well designed backdrop to the limited edition work by artists including Arman, Yayoi Kusama, Man Ray, Jean-Michel Othoniel, Jean-Pierre Raynaud. The art here is not in the work alone but also in the lighting and beautiful presentation.
· 8 rue Debelleyme 75003, pacea.fr, +33 1 49 96 63 00. Open: 11am-7pm. Entrance: free

7. Galerie Agathe Gaillard
Walking down rue du Pont Louis-Philippe towards the Seine, past the boutiques is one of the first Paris galleries to specialise in photography. The Chinese red lacquered woodwork around the outside of the gallery sets off the black and white photographs which predominate. Shows a selection of classic, largely well-known names including Jean-Philippe Charbonnier, Ralph Gibson, Henri Cartier-Bresson, André Kertesz, Robert Doisneau – among emerging photographers.
· 3 rue du Pont Louis-Philippe 75004, agathegaillard.com, +33 1 42 77 38 24. Open: Tues-Sat 2pm-7pm Entrance: free

8. Galerie Georges-Philippe et Nathalie Vallois
A stroll away from the Seine on the left bank will take you through a maze of streets and shopfronts. An archway entices you away from the bustle, past some mature potted bamboos into a mecca of cosmopolitan contemporary art. The gallery retains connections to new realist artists including Arman and Jacques Villeglé while exhibiting younger French and international artists, among them Boris Achour, Alain Bublex and Vincent Lamouroux. A special ‘project room’ shows site-specific work.
· 36 rue de Seine 75006, galerie-vallois.com, +33 1 46 34 61 07. Open: Mon-Sat 10.30am-1pm, 2pm- 7pm. Entrance: free

9. Le Plateau – FRAC Ile de France
Because of its unassuming entrance, first impressions on arriving at Le Plateau might suggest a big name for a little place – but that would be misleading because the concept, the collection and range of exhibitions is enormous. In 2002, FRAC Ile-de-France (Regional Fund of Contemporary Art of the Ile-de-France region) found a home in the hilly north-western part of Paris, in the Plateau which was established as a part of a plan to revitalise this mostly working-class area. From its new space, FRAC has established a collection of over 700 works of young artists.
· Place Hannah Arendt (at the corner of Rue des Alouettes and Rue Carducci) 75019, fracidf-leplateau.com, +33 1 53 19 84 10. Artists: Jean-Michel Sanejouand, François Curlet, Adel Abdessemed, Loris Greaud. Newcomer Cao Fei until May 25. Open: Weds-Fri 2pm-7pm, Sat-Sun 12pm-8pm. Entrance: free

10. La Galerie des Galeries
Probably one of the most unlikely places to find an art space – round the back of Galliano, Gaultier and Westwood designs on the first floor of the grand Galeries Lafayette department store on Boulevard Haussmann. Designed by Pascal Grasso in 2001, the visitor is drawn into the permanent 300 square metre exhibition space through a white igloo-like passageway neatly bridging the gap between store and gallery. Recent exhibitions have included work by Pierre Ardouvin, Richard Fauguet, Tatiana Trouve and Mathieu Mercier – all prominent on the contemporary art scene. Also small but well-stocked art bookshop.
· 1st Floor Galeries Lafayette, 40 Bd Haussmann, 9ème, La Galerie des Galeries, +33 1 42 82 81 98. Open: Mon-Sat 9.30am-7.30pm, Thursday evening until 9pm. Entrance: Free

Ruud Van Empel at Rabouan Moussion

30 Jan

Ruud Van Empel sweet tender photo portraits of children in a fantastic mythical landscape created by layering digital images.
This show was just sickly sweet. Children and innocence in a techno-coloured Garden of Eden.

Always a great presentation from Rabouan Moussion Gallery

SOPHIE CALLE

6 Dec


67 days to Unhappiness, Sophie Calle photographs her made and unmade bed counting the days post altercation with her lover. The icon of “my bed” is a tender one. Redundant return, new awakenings, nightmares and aspirations of a new day, Sophie Calle series are repetative but remain sentimental and introspective, as Sophie Called does heartbreak best.

PAX PALOSCIA at Addict Galerie Paris

6 Dec


Pax Paloscia presented a very sweet naive, yet tres rock and roll painting exhibit at the Addict Galerie in Paris.

Trine Lise Nedreaas installation Underbelly at Galerie Eva Hober Paris

6 Dec
A tiny little gallery, Eva Hober specializes mostly in video installation works. Trine Lise Nedreaas video installation titled Underbelly, a swimmer treading water, contrasted seconds of the surface by seconds of below the water.

The most provoking part of the work is the mumured underwater sound track cut by the thrashing chaotic brutal sounds from above the water’s surface. For the most part brutal, but there was a gental serenity in the moments of calming and placid legs spinning in the dark silent water.

ANSELM KIEFER Falling Stars at the Grand Palais Paris

6 Dec

The Grand Palais is stunning, the domed ceiling and the intensity of the day light adds a quality to everything it houses.

So stunning and immence as Kiefer’s Sternenfall. The combination of the architectural structures and the housed spaces with walls filled from top to bottom with paintings is exemplified by the title of this series Monumenta. Anselm Kiefer was inspired by the poetry of Paul Celan and Ingeborg Bachmann whose writings reflect on the horrors and sentiments oaround Auschwitz and the Shoah.

Concrete towers with dried sunflowers growing from the windows.


In Kiefer’s traditions, emotive layering of paint and which conveys the a pure sense of the stormy dark waters, and the magnitude of ocean’s void. Superimposed dried flowers and rusted boats floating in the cracked rippeling paint.

The floor to ceiling exhibition of paintings in several niches echoed his ideas of cosmos, nature, and void. At the entree of each niche were the poems which inspired the works. The most beautiful Pays de Brouillard by Bachmann, “for it is fogland I have seen, for it is fog heart I have eaten”.

RUT BLEES LUXEMBURG at Dominique Fiat Gallerie Paris

6 Dec

At Dominique Fiat Gallery in Paris on a mild automn afternoon we meet London’s underground and the rain. Rut Blees Luxemburg follows along the Picadilley line photogaphing reflections of the tube station signs mirrored in puddles on wet sidewalks.

Partly erie, partly lonesome, irridescent warm and glowing, Luxemburg adds a dimension to seemingly banal subject.

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