Museums (les musees)

 


Since I have been in France, I have visited many of the museums in Paris and the Tate Modern in London. The buildings, as well as the art inside have been wonderful experiences. At the Centre Pompidou, the views from and through the architecture were interesting.




This was also true for the Tate, particularly the view of the Millenium Bridge.





What interested me in the Conciergie's show of photographs of the Seine was the map of the Seine on the floor and the interaction of the visitors to the exhibition, especially the teenagers with the map. The photographs, the dates of which spanned over a hundred years were fabulous too.



The Monet nympheas (waterlillies) have recently been uncovered, after years of work on the Orangerie, to allow them to be lit by natural light. They remained in site during the construction because they could not be removed from the walls. It is easy to see why these paintings have been cited as a significant influence on the abstract expressionists. Their size is certainly a factor. The lines to get into the Orangerie to see the Monets was two hours long, at least. I had a Cité pass.





Also renovated is the Grand Palais, which now has an exhibition of mostly French contemporary art (with a few stray Germans) installed by 16 different curators. It has been mostly panned in the press. I really enjoyed seeing it and learning about some French artists I had not known before. The building is special and for some of the artists truly interacts with and influences the work.