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The Grand Palais newsletter |
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n°12, May 2009 |
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Front pageCulture in action at La Force de l'art Cultural mediators welcome visitors at La Force de l'art 02 © Coll. Grand Palais / Didier Plowy From April 24 to June 1, La Force de l'art will be taking over at the Grand Palais. A joint production involving the EPGPCE (the Grand Palais management body), the Centre national des arts plastiques and the Réunion des musées nationaux, this major event for contemporary art, held every three years, is an initiative of the French Ministry of Culture and Communication, and a powerful and original way to experience art. The works exhibited by the "resident" artists are set in Architect Philippe Rahm's "white geology" a scenography inspired by the earth's tectonic plates. For young visitors, a committed, innovative mediation policy has been introduced. The Centre national des arts plastiques has coordinated this initiative, in which specialist mediators welcome and guide visitors individually, while thematic visits are also offered. An atypical, innovative approach here will be a special focus on schoolchildren, introducing the youngest members of the public to art, by establishing connections with the world with which they are familiar. The aim is to welcome a wide range of audiences and give the very young an insight into the issues raised by contemporary art. The key will be to combine pleasure, through entertainment, with information, through an educational response to children's natural curiosity. The experiment is proving to be productive, as the works are made more accessible, new questions are raised, and surprises generate unfamiliar emotions. FocusTAGs draw the crowds at the Grand Palais TAGs au Grand Palais © Coll. Grand Palais / François Tomasi Tags have been a massive success! Over 80,000 visitors in one month, with peaks of 4,000 visitors per day! Originally scheduled to close on April 2, the TAG au Grand Palais show proved so popular that it was extended till Sunday May 3. The success vindicated the Grand Palais' faith in TAGs, not just as a phenomenon of street life but as an art form in its own right, opening it beyond the small circle of aficionados. Visitors were given the opportunity to reappraise TAGs in the light of their history, sociology, realise their international dimension, and discover the different techniques used. The exhibition also unveiled one of the best-kept secrets of the Grand Palais; the stunning South-East Gallery, with its 700 m2 of floor space due to be made over in the coming months. Visitor viewpointLa Force de l'art, Monday May 4, 11:00 a.m. in the Nave: Quadriges talks to visitors Visitors at La Force de l'art © Coll. Grand Palais, Didier Plowy Chloé, 21: I'm studying applied arts and I'm a regular visitor to the Grand Palais. La Force de l'art is a very special show, very philosophical. I wouldn't say I understood everything. I loved the "Snowman", straight out of a fairy tale. Really well made! The "white geology" is great! It isn't easy to design a décor for the Grand Palais. The Nave is so vast. This is really successful, and you are free to walk round however you choose. Matthieu, 4: I live in Quebec, it's the first time I've been to a museum. What I like best is the flag on the roof! Patricia, 51: I teach art history and came with a group of visual education students. There aren't many works on show. This year's show is more legible than the first edition but I'm disappointed by the conservatism of the selection. More risks could have been taken with artists like James Coleman, Philippe Mayaux… That said, I really like the closed simulator, Wang Du and what he says about information/misinformation. As for the "white geology", the brightness doesn't help to see the works. I should have brought my sunglasses! Rachel, 31: I'm over from New Zealand. The Grand Palais is superb, the light is really beautiful! I'm struck by the contrast between the works and the way they are laid out. You turn a corner and suddenly you find yourself face to face with something totally unexpected! Jean, 61: it's my first visit. My wife and I have come up from Toulouse and the main reason for our visit was to see the architectural structure of the Grand Palais. The exhibition was an opportunity to visit the building. As for La Force de l'art, I'm surprised that some artists apparently put more effort into their works than others: we are told that some spent a year working on their pieces, but it looks to me as though others maybe just spent 20 minutes. Is art so unfair? However I would like to say that the cultural mediators are doing a great job interesting young people in contemporary art. The most popular shows in 2008The Grand Palais tops the list!The Journal des arts magazine has just published the hit parade of exhibitions for 2008. In the "contemporary art" category, the Nave of the Grand Palais came out top thanks to Dans la nuit, des images which drew 145,000 visitors in 15 days with a daily average of 10,357 visitors. Not satisfied with outdoing the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo and New York's Moma, the Nave also came 8th with Richard Serra's "Promenade", part of the Monumenta series. Business reportA look back at the 2007/2008 season What exactly is the Établissement public du Grand Palais, what is its vocation and what work does it do day to day? A business report ("rapport d'activité") has just been published (in French only) and answers all these questions with texts and pictures. The year 2007/2008 was marked by an inventive and challenging programme of events rewarded by excellent attendance levels, a restoration and development plan in keeping with the building's enormous potential, and new communication instruments designed to enhance the visibility, prestige and popularity of the Grand Palais worldwide. Patronage and businessYoung CEOs hold a plenary session at the Grand Palais © Coll. Grand Palais The Grand Palais is strengthening its ties with the world of business. On April 6, the digital projection room hosted the plenary assembly of the CJD (Centre des jeunes dirigeants d'entreprises), a federation of 3,000 CEOs and senior executives. A nationwide organisation with 100 regional locations it is representative of French business. Yves Saint-Geours, President of the Grand Palais, took the opportunity to tell the audience of young entrepreneurs about the building's unique potential. He also presented the "Patrons Circle". This scheme, created specially for small and medium-sized companies, provides a vehicle through which they can support the Grand Palais with a minimum donation of 5,000 € entitling them to special advantages for events or VIP visits. Tuesdays at the Grand PalaisContemporary art cycle After the highly successful cycle on Fashion, the new Tuesday cycle, in partnership with the publishers Presses universitaires de France, is dedicated to contemporary art. While contemporary creative art is being showcased by La Force de l'art in the Nave, the projection room picks up the debate with a series of three conference-debates on the theme of contemporary art. The whole cycle is mediated by journalist Arnaud Laporte, producer and anchor of the radio programme "Tout arrive", broadcast on France Culture. Tuesday April 28: "Must a work of art have a meaning?", with Jean-Yves Jouannais (commissionner of La Force de l'art 02), Gilles Barbier (artist), Alain-Dominique Gallizia (architect) and Carole Talon-Hugon (philosopher). Tuesday May 5: "From watching to joining in the creative process: where does the spectator stand?", with Jérôme Glicenstein, Fabrice Hyber, Richard Lagrange, Philippe Rahm. Tuesday May 12: "Art and technology: what's new?", with Arnaud Brunet, Anne Cauquelin, Alain Fleischer, Olivier Kaeppelin, Pierre-Yves Lochon. The magazine Connaissance des arts has been partnering the Contemporary Art Cycle in the Tuesdays at the Grand Palais and has made an audio recording of the three debates. |
A word from the presidentFollowing on from the acclaimed TAG au Grand Palais show, staged in the South-East Gallery, it is now the turn of La Force de l'art to storm the Nave. Original, diverse, and stimulating, this triennial is laid out in an original scenography by Philippe Rahm "the white geology". As you find your way round this milky way be prepared to run into a host of silhouettes in black tee-shirts. These are our cultural mediators who will be on hand to provide guidance as part of an ambitious scheme designed to help visitors of all ages, with a particular focus on the very young. We are particularly thrilled to be working with these young people whose contribution reflects our central vocation: to make art accessible to all. The aim is not to impose a single vision but to provide insights, suggest keys, open doors. The team of mediators will be embodying one of the essential missions of the Grand Palais: to provide public service. Yves Saint-Geours President, Établissement public du Grand Palais News Paris-New York et retour by Marc Fumaroli In his latest essay, Marc Fumaroli, historian, essayist and member of the Académie Française, turns his attention to contemporary art, basing his analysis on two major cities: Paris and New York. Readers will enjoy the author's erudition and flamboyant style as he evokes the French capital, singling out the "wonderfully restored quadrigas, high on the rooftops of the Grand Palais" [our translation]… Don’t miss thisLa Force de l'art 02 April 24 – June 1 Nave of the Grand Palais 40 artists exhibited amid 4,000 m2 of "white geology", forming a panorama of France's contemporary art scene. AgendaInternational Antiquarian Book Fair June 19 – 21 Nave of the Grand Palais For the 3rd year in succession, the Nave is to host the World's biggest book shop: thousands of works at prices ranging from 100 to 1 million euros, an extraordinary choice for every taste and budget and a selection of old, modern and contemporary original prints. Practical informationRER : ligne C / station Invalides Bus : lignes 28, 42, 52, 72, 73, 80, 83, 93 Vélib : Station n° 8029, 1 av. Franklin-D.-Roosevelt / n° 8001, av. Dutuit Parkings : Rond-Point des Champs-Élysées, place de la Concorde, parc François-Ier, Alma Georges-V, Champs-Élysées Lincoln, Matignon. Personnes à mobilité réduite : accès avenue Winston-Churchill |
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Executive editor: Jean-Paul Cluzel, President La Réunion des musées nationaux – Grand Palais Chief editor: Marie Senk © Grand Palais, 2011 |
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