This is also Paris....

Yes, this is also Paris…I was a bit early for an appointment, which gave me a moment to walk around - just a little corner of - the Bois de Boulogne (see previous posts), which may be quite busy during weekends, but on a Monday…

I was happy to see that the trees are growing.

I met some of the inhabitants, including a squirrel which observed me from far…

… and a few visitors, exercising or just taking a break… and could admire an uncut lawn.

Then it was time for my appointment. I could already see the place, the building through the trees.

Yes, the appointment was at the “Fondation Louis Vuitton”, the remarkable new museum on which I already have posted (see here). The purpose was to visit the temporary exhibition (until July 6) “Les clefs d’une passion” (The keys of a passion), with works by…- see the list of names and examples of the exhibited items below (no photos allowed, but you can find them all on the net). Among the works (coming from some of the world’s leading art museums) maybe a special mention for one of the versions of Munch’s “The Scream”.  

   

A new Paris landmark

Paris has a new museum and cultural center, open to public as from Monday next, October 27, the “Fondation Louis Vuitton”. (I have a ticket for the opening hour – for some reason I was not invited to the more official inauguration ceremonies this week.) It will be a place for permanent and temporary art exhibitions for concerts (Kraftwerk, Lang Lang... programmed in November) and other events.

There has been criticism about the installation of this museum in the Bois de Boulogne, close to the Jardin de l’Acclimatation – which led to delay of the project. Anyhow, the architecture is spectacular and will certainly lead to discussions, probably more positive than negative though. Paris has got a new landmark.

Already by it looks it’s rather evident that the architect is Frank Gehry, known for a number of not-square buildings, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Dancing House in Prague, the 8 Spruce Street in NYC… and of course the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.

Here are photos I took of the Guggenheim Museum some four years ago (see post here).

This is not the first intervention of Frank Gehry in Paris. In 1993 an American Center was opened in the Parc de Bercy (see previous post), later taken over by the Cinémathèque Française.  In 2006 he created a “telephone box” on the Gariglaino Bridge (see previous post).  It’s not there anymore (where is it, if anywhere?)

So, let’s have an outside look on the new Paris Museum, photos taken last weekend in a fantastic summer weather. (If I’m allowed to take photos inside, I will revert with a later post.) It’s described as a sailboat, inflated by the wind.

The glass sails envelop an “iceberg”, which will be the real exposition part.  

As it’s a boat, it’s floating on water. A very sophisticated water-and-foam play takes place in a basin in front of the museum.

Here we can see where the museum is located (the building was under construction when the Google Earth photo was taken)… and also Frank Gehry’s original architectural sketch.

You can read more about the Foundation here.