By Barbara Ariston
Walk the streets of Paris It’s like taking a tour through an open-air museum: there are countless monuments, works of art and architectural icons. But for art lovers, the city of light it reserves very special attractions of the most varied styles in more than 200 museums and galleries, with their permanent collections and temporary exhibitions of the highest quality.
In the last week of May, I was lucky enough to be able to visit a selection of fantastic exhibitions on display in the city. The first museum on my schedule was the Big palace, which in itself is an incredible attraction. The space was built in 1900 and encompasses several cultural spaces. On the day of my visit, I was able to choose between an exhibition by the great Brazilian artist Candido Portinarianother by the fantastic photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, among others. But as time was short and the queues were long, I opted for these two, which I identified with the most.
are you going to travel abroad?
Buy your travel insurance here, tested and approved by us!
Know more
The room dedicated to the master Portinari it was impressive. The exhibition housed the panels War and peace, gifts from the Brazilian government to the UN headquarters, in New York, in 1956. For four years, Portinari worked on the production of almost 200 studies and models and then, in another 9 months, he painted two monumental panels measuring 14 meters high and a total surface of 280 square meters. The production is beautiful and is only on display until June 9th.
The photographer’s exhibition Robert Mapplethorpe, one of the big names in art photography, stays longer, until July 13th. Despite being best known for his work with nudes, the exhibition presents the full scope of the artist’s work and his search for aesthetic perfection through more than 200 photographs, produced from the beginning of the 70s until his premature death in 1989. Also on display, and continuing until June 22, is the sixth edition of Monumenta, with the 2,500 square meter installation called “Strange City”, by Russian artists Ilya and Emilia Kabakovque.
The next day, I passed by Arab World Institute, which is located in a building designed by Jean Nouvel, with its impressive facade of photosensitive panels, which open and close like diaphragms depending on the intensity of sunlight. Then I visited the Rodin Museumone of my favorites, with its beautiful gardens and wonderful sculptures of Auguste Rodin. Coincidentally, in addition to the permanent exhibition, the museum hosted a very interesting exhibition drawing a parallel between the artist’s work and that of Mapplethorpe, the same photographer on display at the Grand Palais.
The exhibition I was most looking forward to seeing was the big Henri Cartier-Bressonone of the main exponents of French and world photography, in Centre Pompidou. But I was a bit of an amateur and made the mistake of going there on a rainy Sunday. I almost fell back when I saw the kilometer-long queue at the door of the cultural center. And what’s worse, the line didn’t move.
At this moment I regret not having bought the Museum Pass, as I had already done on other trips to Paris. (In fact, this is a very valuable tip: buy the pass in advance online or as soon as you arrive in the city, at the Paris Convention & Visitors Bureau or at any Fnac store. The biggest advantage is the fact that you can skip the lines). I didn’t have the courage to face those likely hours of waiting and I left. So I decided to try a different strategy. I went to the websites of the museums I still wanted to go to and bought tickets individually.
The next day, I returned to Pompidou, which unlike other museums, opens on Mondays and closes on Tuesdays. I was pleased that I didn’t have to wait in line to buy tickets, but when I arrived at the room reserved for the show, Bresson, the surprise: another queue. But this time I faced it, after all I wouldn’t have another opportunity. And it was worth every minute of the 90 spent there. With more than 350 photos, the retrospective presents the power and diversity of his images. Unmissable! Only until June 9th. After that, in November, the Pompidou organizes the first retrospective in Europe of Jeff Koons, one of the most famous and controversial contemporary artists.
Finally, I set aside an afternoon to return to the Musée d’Orsay. I love this place, the old Gare d’Orsay train station, an example of art nouveau and, since 1986, home to impressionist and post-impressionist collections by French and world artists. That day, my biggest goal was to check out the Van Gogh/Artaud exhibition. The exhibition, on display until July 6, is based on the work of the writer Antonin Artaud about the Dutch genius. There are more than 30 pictures of Vincent Van Goghas well as drawings and letters from the master to his brother.
Finally, whatever the period of stay in Parisit’s worth taking a look at the week’s programming guides, such as Periscope, on sale at newsstands, so as not to miss wonderful exhibitions like these. And, obviously, take the opportunity to see or review the beautiful collections of these and other museums and galleries, such as the Louvre, the Quai Branly, the Picasso, the Palais de Tokyo, the Maison Euopéenne de la Photographie, the Pinacothèque, the Carnavalet, the Musée de l’Orangerie, the Jeu de Paume…
Photos: Bárbara Ariston
Read too:
Itinerary through the gardens of Paris
Aix-en-Provence, trip through the south of France
The charm and glamor of the Côte d’Azur
Rouen – a city near Paris that is worth a visit
An itinerary through Alsace
