La Nuit Blanche

A few shots 'en direct' from the Nuit Blanche. It's a lovely evening, albeit a little windy. There's a bright full moon in the sky which is celebrated in the East as being the roundest and fullest of the year, and which is giving a little extra atmosphere to the installations.

All of these photos were taken at the Parc des Buttes Chaumont.

Something for the Weekend? (3rd/4th October)

This weekend, don’t expect to get much sleep. The first weekend of October is all about the Nuit Blanche, an arty all-nighter where bleary-eyed residents and visitors wander around the city, from temporary exhibit to temporary exhibit, until the sun comes back up. For those who do like their sleep, I have another few ideas for you.

Please add any events or activities you think should be promoted or which you would like to promote yourself in the comments, and let me know if you have any events in the coming weekends you would like to promote.

La Nuit Blanche
For this 8th edition of the annual all-night art festival, the organisers have decided to divide the city up into three distinct districts; the Buttes-Chaumont and 19th arrondissement, the Marais and Châtelet in the centre and the Latin Quarter across the river. As someone who resides in the North-East of the city, I’ll be concentrating on the first option, but in my opinion it is also the one with the most interesting selection of installations and locations. If you like the atmosphere of parks at night, got to the Buttes Chaumont and wander around the various creations, then wander down to the Piscine Pailleron which will also be hosting a special event. The swimming pool will be open too, so you can even go for a dip at 4am if you feel up to it!
The full programme can be found here
The night of the 3rd/4th October.
Various points around the city.

A Certain Ratio
If you want to ensure the success of a music festival called Factory, what do you do? Create a poster showing a pig covered in cucumber, or invite one of the original groups from Manchester’s famous Factory records label to open the festival? The organisers of this festival have done both, but it is the second decision that seems the more inspired. The group have been playing their angular ‘post-punk funk’ for over thirty years now, and are always worth watching live. Why does this show have to be so far out into the sticks though?
Saturday 3rd October
Le Plan, Ris-Orangis

La Subversion des Images
The latest exhibition at the Centre Pompidou brings together nearly 400 works of surrealist photography and collages, including work by Man Ray, Paul Eluard and André Breton. It’s a rare opportunity to see such a large and varied selection of material from this fascinating period, but ticket prices at 12 Euros seem equally surreal to me.
More information here
Until January 11th, 2010.

60 years of the RATP
Whilst you are at the Centre Pompidou, don’t forget to wander around the collection of photos on the piazza. Organised to celebrate the 60th birthday of the RATP (the Parisian public transport company), these photos are from the archives of the company and the Paris Match magazine, and were taken by such well-known names as Raymond Depardon, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Izis. The photos show how the inhabitants of Paris have interacted with public transport over the 60 years, and covers many significant events. The exhibition is divided into three themes; daily life, historical events and culture.
Ends October 4th

Take an Archibus
On the subject of public transport, has anyone taken an Archibus tour yet? Buses in Paris pass by some of the most significant and interesting architectural features in the city, and the Archibus leaflets will help you to spot them. My suggestion is that you take the Metro to Sully-Morland and visit the ‘Invention of the European Tower’ exhibition at the Pavillon de l’Arsenal before it closes (final weekend). When you are there, pick up one of their Archibus tour leaflets, then hop on the relevant bus! If you can’t make it, you can always download a tour from here.

Le Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
Want something more upmarket? Try Longchamp and the most exclusive horse-race meeting in the French calendar. Tickets are reasonably priced (4 Euros on Saturday, 8 Euros for the big event on Sunday) and even if you are not keen on racing it is still an excellent people-watching event.
It somehow doesn’t seem right though that it should now be known as the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.