Why not take advantage of this rentrée to treat yourself to a cultural break? Here’s our Eastern Paris art selection of the month, with 10 exhibits from Belleville to Bercy.
Adventurous art lovers have a few weeks left to explore fantastic and mysterious worlds with the retrospective of the Cinémathèque devoted to vampires, and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France’s ambitious exhibit dedicated to J. R. R. Tolkien, the father of fantasy and the Lord of the Rings.
Virginie Bécourt & Ji-Yun – “Anatomies”
Until February 27th
In the heart of the charming Saint-Blaise neighborhood, the Galerie Derniers Jours welcomes a mirror exhibit bringing together two of the artists it represents. The underlying theme of the body undoubtedly unites the textile creations of Virginie Bécourt and Ji-Yun’s surprising artworks, inspired by traditional Korean painting.
A visit is a perfect occasion to discover the unique style, “introspections and outlets” of these two artists, and maybe enjoy this opportunity to take a winter stroll around what was once the village of Charonne.
Wednesday to Friday: 4pm-7pm – Saturday: 2pm-7pm
Galerie Derniers Jours
5 Rue Saint-Blaise, 75020 Paris
+33 (0)6 85 07 63 32
derniersjours.com
Lola Gonzàlez – “Si tu disais”
January 16th – March 16th
Born in 1988 but with an already prolific artistic carreer, Lola Gonzàlez presents a selection of her last films from January 16th at Marcelle Alix gallery, on the heights of Belleville. The exhibit resonates with “new and old friendships, her ability to bind together people whom she has met […] — a way of looking together at the landscape and fearlessly inhabiting it.”
A graduate of Beaux-Arts de Lyon, the artist received an early recognition for the “visceral proximity” of her cinematic approach. She was a resident at Villa Medicis in Rome in 2018-2019 after memorable performances at Plateau FRAC Île-de-France, Palais de Tokyo, and a retrospective at Crédac in Ivry-sur-Seine.
Wednesday to Saturday: 11am-7pm
Galerie Marcelle Alix
4 Rue Jouye-Rouve, 75020 Paris
+33 (0)9 50 04 16 80
www.marcellealix.com
“Hôtel Métropole – Since 1818”
Until January 12th
There are only a few days left to discover the Pavillon de l’Arsenal’s bilingual exhibit dedicated to the hotel, “a familiar figure in our cities, long rooted in the urban landscape”. There are more than 2,500 such properties in the French capital : they registered 52 million overnight stays last year.
It’s the perfect occasion to explore the eventful story of the Parisian hotel industry and his most eminent representatives; yet the exhibiton is also looking towards the future. On the eve of the 2024 Olympics, it highlights some innovations of some of the 150 new projects that will soon reinforce the local hotel supply. Many events and conferences are planned to comment on issues related to architecture in the hospitality industry.
Tuesday to Sunday: 11am-7pm
Pavillon de l’Arsenal
21 Boulevard Morland, 75004 Paris
+33 (0)1 42 76 33 97
www.pavillon-arsenal.com
Dorothy Iannone – “Ever Daring!”
Until January 6th
Francis Bacon is the indisputable star of the moment behind the glass walls of the Centre Pompidou, yet it would be a shame to miss out on the lively pieces of American artist Dorothy Iannone presented in the exhibit “Ever Daring!”.
United in a joyful eroticism and a harmonious visual symphony, these 69 (!) drawings and paintings illustrate the originality of this talented artist. Born in 1933, Dorothy Iannone made a name for herself in the 1960s thanks to her very personal vision of abstract expressionism, “implicitly advocat[ing] equality of the sexes and explicitly advocat[ing] the virtues of sexual activity, a blend of lived experience and mystical celebration.”
Full: €14 – Reduced: €11/Free
Every Day (except Tuesday) : 11am-9pm
Centre Pompidou
Place Georges-Pompidou, 75004 Paris
+33 (0)1 44 78 12 33
www.centrepompidou.fr
Adolfo Kaminsky – “Forger and Photographer”
Until April 19th
In the heart of the Marais, the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire du Judaïsme tells the passionate and turbulent story of Adolfo Kaminsky. After joining the French Resistance at 17 following his internment in the camp of Drancy, the brilliant forger decided to dedicate his talent to serve his humanist engagement and defend oppressed people around the world.
Despite the many sacrifices required by a carreer synonymous with secrecy, Adolfo Kaminsky also proves an inspired photographer, the author of thousands of pictures after the Liberation. “From the Saint-Ouen flea market to the neons of Pigalle”, the French capital holds a special place in the collections of this inspiring artist and human being.
Tuesday to Friday: 11am-6pm – Saturday & Sunday: 10am-6pm
Musée d’Art et d’Histoire du Judaïsme
71 Rue du Temple, 75003 Paris
+33 (0)1 53 01 86 60
www.mahj.org
Anabela Pinto – “Precious Things”
Starting January 16th
Another great reason to walk down the cobblestones of Rue Jouye-Rouve this month is the exhibition by Portuguese photographer Anabela Pinto dedicated to her superb series “Precious Things”, a reflection “on the contours of materialistic desire and its relationship with the pursuit of happiness”. A student at the Royal College of Art de Londres, the artist is a 2019 laureate of the Dior Photography Award for Young Talents.
In her latest series illustrating the esthetic grip of technology in daily life, “home electronics become the main subjects in open-ended narratives that incite the imagination of the viewer, while speaking of closeness, dependence, frustration, and ultimately happiness, that inherently relate with objects of desire, our precious things.”
Thursday & Friday: 2pm-7pm – Saturday: 12h-19h
Galerie Intervalle
12 Rue Jouye-Rouve, 75020 Paris
+33 (0)1 43 15 94 58
www.galerie-intervalle.com
Paul Pouvreau – “Literally and Figuratively”
Until January 18th
A few steps away from the Canal Saint-Martin, Les Douches La Galerie presents artworks by photographer Paul Pouvreau. In the past thirty years, the imaginative artist has made a specialty of twisting “household objects, those insignificant things that take over our modes of consumption.”
A connoisseur of art history, the photographer finds inspiration in classic depictions to shape “a metaphor for our times”, where the most mundane items (cardboard, plastic bags, etc.) find a second existence, this time filled with an unexpected poetry. The new exhibit “Literally and Figuratively” consists in three “ensembles” : “Faits divers”, “Mascarades” and “Les invasives”.
Wednesday to Saturday: 2pm-7pm
Les Douches La Galerie
5 Rue Legouvé, 75010 Paris
+33 (0)1 78 94 03 00
www.lesdoucheslagalerie.com
“Tolkien, Journey to Middle-Earth”
Until February 16th
It’s not like it’s every day Paris Lights Up crosses the Seine! Let’s take the Passerelle Simone de Beauvoir to discover the latest grand exhibit of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France: “Tolkien, Journey to Middle-Earth”. Held until February 16th, 2020, the largest retrospective ever dedicated to the master of fantasy is a unique occasion to explore his legendary worlds and some of the sources that inspired his mythology.
The exhibit includes many artworks signed by J. R. R. Tolkien, a brilliant linguist at Oxford university who became the father of a new school of literature following the success of his books The Hobbit, The Lord of the Ring, and The Silmarillion. Visitors can cross some of the many lands Tolkien brought to life, from the green hills of the Shire to the volcanic plains of Mordor, not to mention the sacred forests of the Elves.
The success of the exhibit has so far proven undeniable: we recommend booking a ticket in advance with a precise time slot, or at least to avoid the weekend and holidays.
Full: €11 – Reduced: €9/Free
Tuesday to Sunday: 10am-7pm – Thursday: 10am-9pm
Bibliothèque François Mitterrand
Quai François Mauriac, 75706 Paris Cedex 13
+33 (0)1 53 79 49 49
bnf.fr
“Vampires, from Dracula to Buffy”
Until January 19th
Ubiquitous figures of the fantastic genre since the 19th century and Bram Stoker’s Dracula, vampires have since joined the stardom of the small and big screens. From the origins of the myth to its more recent representations, the Cinémathèque Française has gathered a century of artworks inspired by the vampire.
Between horror and eroticism, it’s no surprise that the mysterious creature has managed to conquer every continent to become a universally recognized character. Concurrently with the exhibit, the Cinémathèque also offers an ambitious program of screenings including several adaptations of the original Dracula, movies by acclaimed directors, B movies, and even showings aimed at children.
Monday, Wednesday & Friday: 12pm-7pm – Thursday: 12pm-9pm – Saturday & Sunday: 11am-8pm
Cinémathèque Française
51 Rue de Bercy, 75012 Paris
+33 (0)1 71 19 33 33
www.cinematheque.fr
13bis – “L’arme à l’œil”
Until January 5th
Residents of the Belleville and Buttes-Chaumont neighborhoods will surely recognize the inimitable style of 13bis, whose black and white artworks have made their mark in the street art DNA of Paris’ 19th arrondissement. Scenes with mythological evocations, troubling or dreamy portraits, and other “poetic gestures” in which the jungle suddenly appears in the cityscape: the artist’s repertoir has been growing for more than ten years.
On top of the Parc de Belleville, the charming gallery Les temps Donnés features some of 13bis’ creations until January 5th – you can also discover many more on the venue’s front window and in the surrounding streets. Visitors can also bring home a few souvenirs, such as t-shirts or stickers designed by the artist.
Wednesday to Sunday: 2pm-7pm
Galerie Les Temps Donnés
16 Rue des Envierges, 75020 Paris
+33 (0)6 14 89 05 05
www.lestempsdonnes.com
Cover Illustration:
Design for the dust jacket The Hobbit, 1937 – Artwork from the exhibit “Tolkien, Journey to Middle-Earth” © Bodleian Library / The Tolkien Estate Limited