VINGT Paris News

Fragonard

Looking for a Paris souvenir that has it all, then head over to Fragonard.

Founded in 1926 in Grasse, France’s perfume capital, the shop sells loads of fabulously chic yet reasonably priced items: perfumes, creams, candles, soaps - but it’s their line of 100 % cotton, hand-embroidered drawstring travel pouches that really caught our attention.

Retailing at around 20 Euros each, a steal for a luxury item, they make lovely and useful keepsakes.

JM Video, Your Personal Short Film Distributor

In a city that is as fiercely passionate about cinema as Paris, the choice of video rental places is no small thing.

Among the various film rental shops JM Video is one of the oldest and offers one of the better collections for hard to find films. But what makes them our pick for one of the best video shops is their court-métrage program.

JM Video accepts short films from any director (that means you) out there, as long as the film is on a dvd, playable in PAL format, and has a cover jacket with a description of the film.

These films are  available for lending to all patrons of JM Video for free, with an online forum to discuss the films. Just imagine, your film could be watched by dozens of snobby cinephiles!

JM Video also mentions that it's possible to obtain some financial support from CNC (centre nationale de la cinematopgraphie) up to 48,000 euros!

Kusama at La Villette

Guaranteed Personality's Melissa Unger writes for I V Y paris
Photo by Justin Westover

Cranky from the heat? I bet you are.

The first few days of glorious sun in Paris made us all go wild with unbridled joy.  We lounged on café terraces, had picnics on the banks of the Seine, got sunburned, ate ice cream, the kids were happy to be outside and at the end of each day everyone fell into yummy, soft, Summer slumber.

Now it’s been a few weeks of oppressive, humid heat and we’re starting to get grumpy. Today I noticed that the usually Summer-loving Parisians have officially turned into glassy-eyed, foot-dragging Zombies. 

Gone are the lovely Amélie Poulian look-alikes in the their short skirts, breezing by, flashing long legs and wide smiles on their Vèlibs. Gone too are the little kids frolicking happily in the local ‘jardins’.

During my lunch hour, I ate my sandwich on a park bench to the shrieking tune of a gaggle of tantrum throwing children.   

As she watched her daughter squirming on the ground in the throes of an impressive (in this heat!) hysterical fit, a nearby mother looked at me, rolled her eyes in despair, and said: 

“Que voulez-vous que je fasse?”   

What to do, indeed?

Two words for you: Yayoi Kusama.

Les Étés de la Danse 2024 and Aftershow

Now through August 9th 2024

A festival that takes place every summer at the Grand Palais, this year les étés de la danse welcomes les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal.

Performances include "Toot," "Cantata," "Four Seasons," and "Six dances" (featured left).

Ticket prices range from 23 to 61 euros. For a cheaper alternative, you can attend rehearsals for 10.

This weekend the festival continues into the night with a series of aftershows, featuring DJ Soul Sista and Arnaud Rebotini.

Free entry to the afterparty for the first 100 who click here!

Les Étés de la Danse 2024 at the Grand Palais
Avenue Winston Churchill
Paris 75008
Metro: Champs-Elysées - Clémenceau

'Who Is Who' 2024 Hip-Hop Battle: Bring it...

Pamela Price writing for I V Y Paris

September, what a beautiful month. The leaves are changing colors, gracefully falling from their branches, pumpkins appear, and hip hop dancers are krumpin' it, poppin' it, and lockin' it.

Coming this Fall to Paris, France for the third consecutive year... The 'Who Is Who' Battle, where the b-boys and b-girls of the world come out of the woodwork with their kicks, beats, and ultimate hip hop battle skills.

Dancers have six chances to earn a champion title. It's a one on one battle in Pop'N/Boogaloo, Locking, House Dance, Newstyle, B.Boying, and Krump. So if you think you can bring it in any of these categories, you have the chance to win a champion title for the 2009 Battle.

Le 115, a Street Art Community

Just east of the 20ème, over the périphérique (because a wall just isn't good enough) lie the suburbs of Montreuil and Bagnolet, a region that has become affordable hot spot for young French artists and all things bohemian.

So it's no surprise to see the recent announcement that the long time street art community in Bagnolet, collectif Dizzidence Artistique has, with the help of the city of Bagnolet, invested in a new space called Le 115.

Situated at 115, rue Sadi Carnot, Le 115 hopes to offer "one of the most important concerns for an artists : a place to create and develop their projects. Neither a theatre nor a gallery, nor a concert room, Le 115 is an open space for any kind of urban art, with free access for the public."

Music to Watch Girls By...

Badaude's Joanna Walsh writing and illustrating for I V Y paris

I’m sitting in a café with artist, Matthew Rose of Lalande Digital Art Press. It’s Sunday morning. We’re at the corner of two streets – just watching people. He’s an artist. He returned by train this morning from his latest show in Berlin .

“How did it go?” I ask him.

He says, “Yeah, it was great. I sold two of the bottles. 900€ each.

I exhibited them at wine shop across the road in the 14th at, like 200€ and I thought in the gallery, they might go for 500. So I didn’t say anything and my dealer said, I think we should put these up at 900 and so I said, OK, but I didn’t really think they would sell. And I sold two.”

We sit down. The waitress is beautiful. Tall and slim. She wears a long and elaborate sautoir* over her work apron. She takes our order, hardly seeming to notice us. Matthew scowls at her.

Noir Kennedy

Punk shop in the midst of the Marais where the changing rooms are English phone boxes. Good place to get Cheap Mondays, just beware of the stuffed rats.

Open Tuesday through Saturday
11am to 8pm,
Sunday 2pm to 8pm,
Monday 1pm to 8pm.

Noir Kennedy
12 Rue Roi de Sicile
75004 Paris

and

22 rue du Roi de Sicile (more goth)
75004 Paris

Paris BD Shop Profile: Librairie Super Héros

Adrian K Sanders writing for I V Y paris

There may not be a better place to buy bande dessinée in Paris than Librarie Super Héros. It is situated smack dab in the middle of the city (about 30 meters north of Centre Pompidou) on Rue St. Martin.

Easy to get to and super friendly, Librarie Super Heros boasts one of the larger (and better organized) collections of alternative, import and quality BD. Like many book and BD shops, Librarie Super Héros has a staff selection, called Les coups de coeur, but unlike many book and BD shops, these selections feel personal and don't feel like push new releases or old stock.

Summer Lineup for Museums in Paris

Now through August 24^th

Alain Séchas: Rêve brisé [shattered dream]

Séchas was given free reign to install his current works at the Musée Bourdelle, where he has created a commentary that captures the intensity and spontanety of the artist's process. (featured left)

Jonathan Monk: Time between Spaces

The Musée d’Art moderne de la Ville de Paris presents, in collaboration with Palais de Tokyo an exposition of Jonathan Monk: Time Between Spaces.

Through August 31st

Nuit Espagnole : Flamenco, avant-garde et culture populaire, 1865 – 1936

In the heat of the night, head for spain. Where? At the Petit Palais, thanks to this new exhibition that features the history of this decidedly Spanish tradition. Learn more about Flamenco, a dance which inspired and captivated many generations of painters and sculptures, from Courbet to Picasso and stimulated them to embrace the modern era.

 

Through September 7^th

Peter Doig

The Musée d’Art moderne de la Ville de Paris is showing the first major exposition of Peter Doig in Paris. One of the premier UK painters of his generation, Doig’s works will be on display, grouped in themes as well as chronologically. Not to be missed.