Contemporary Art

Last Friday, a rainy and cold afternoon, I decided to visit an exposition of Contemporary Art. It took place at what used to be a warehouse, Halle de Freysinnet, one of the few old buildings left in an old mostly industrial area which is under full transformation. You will find it just behind the Bibilothèque François Mitterrand, built in 1994 and now the major site for the French National Library.

As I said, it was rainy and cold and the atmosphere did not help to make these library buildings look really attractive.

On my way to the exposition I found some examples of a new design of benches. I tried one... for a very short moment! :-)

To reach the exposition place, Halle de Freysinnet, you have to cross the railway tracks leading to and from Gare d’Austerlitz (see previous post). The warehouse or hall dates from 1927, got its name from its creator, an engineer who invented the “prestressed concrete”. The hall has recently been transformed to house expositions and other events. It’s actually used also for fashion shows (Galliano, Nina Ricci, Lanvin, Hermès...).

The exposition proposed a number of works by more or less well-known artists.

One of them (Karl Gietl) had made his own interpretations of da Vinci’s “La Gioconda” (2.700 € = 3.800 US$) and of Goya’s “El Très del Mayo” (12.500€ = 17.500 US$).

This exposition lasted only a few days and is now over.

In another part of the hall there was another exposition, of a Russian painter, Paul Chmaroff (1874-1950), which lasts until February 14. This is part of the “2010 France – Russia” cultural exchange program. Paul Chmaroff is referred to as the “Russian Renoir”. He worked before the 1917 Revolution at the Russian Royal Court (painted the Royal family), before leaving for Rome and then for Paris.