Culturethèque
From the latest book award to the next French gig in your area, stay in touch with bits of France in the UK.
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The story of fashion week
In 1943, the first fashion week took place in New-York.
Until 1943, fashion was dictated from Paris and its industry followed the trends of the French capital.
In Europe, the Second World War was at its heights and the fashion industry and the media like Vogue could not go to Paris. It was in this context that a famous name in fashion, Eleanor Lambert, had the idea to organize an event in NY called « fashion week » to define the new trends and to present them to American designers.
Gradually, from one year to the next, more « fashion weeks » appeared on the scene : London in 1961 , Madrid in 1963, Hong Kong in 1968. Paris had its fashion week in 1973.
Nowdays, fashion week is celebrated everywhere, however, it is largely dominated by the « four big ones » : London is known for its edgy design, Paris famous for its « couture » , Milan, for elegance and NY is the biggest of them all for this week.
Gallimard
2011 is the centenary year for the French publishing house Gallimard.
The Bibliothèque Nationale de France is celebrating this anniversary in an exhibition that goes back through the history of Gallimard.
You can view some exceptional pieces, as well as unpublished documents, such as manuscripts, photographs, correspondence, reading cards, posters and audiovisual archives from the 22nd of March until the 3rd of July 2011 at the National French Library in Paris. For English residents, you can see what's on offer here.
Iscribe, youscribe, wescribe for youscribe.
Youscribe is a plateform created last April by Pirlot de Corbion, former manager of Chapitre.com.
This plateform allows you to deliver your written productions and make yourself known, sell your documents and share your views with the community. You can also read thousands of digital publications online.
Aimé Césaire entre au Panthéon
A national tribute was paid on Wednesday 6th of April 2011 to the poet and political figure Aimé Césaire who died in 2008.
Aimé Césaire (1913-2008) was a poet and playwright from Martinique.
He was a powerful voice of « négritude » and decolonisation.
He is being honoured at the Panthéon with a national tribute and a ceremony by the French Republic.
Anissa's cultural tip: The Caillebotte Brothers' private world.
An unusual exhibition is taking place at the Musee Jacquemart-Andre, in Paris : two artists : one of them internationally known, Gustave, and the other, Martial is totally unknown ; one of them paints, while the other takes pictures. Both were born and bred in Paris, and both reveal Paris in a very intimate way.
Jean-Louis Forain at the Petit Palais in Paris
Painter, sketcher, caricaturist, graphic artist - Jean-Louis Forain was born in Rheims on October 23, 1852. He moved to Paris with his family, he went to the Louvre, to copy great works and he met some impressionists. After having fought in World War I his career gained a politcal slant and his sketches showed the horrors of war.
The exhibition of Forain's work is at the Petit Palais until the 5th of June 2011.
Click on the title of this blogpost for a video of the exhibition.
The Goutte d'Or! L'Institut des Cultures d'Islam invite Martin Parr
Martin Parr (born 23 May 1952) is a British documentary photographer, photojournalist and photobook collector. He has the same birthday as me.
1981-2011 : 30 years ago, the death penalty was abolished in France.
Capital punishment was practiced in France from the middle ages until 1977. The only legal execution method was the guillotine. The last person to be executed was Hamida Djandoubi who was executed in September 1977. The death penalty was abolished by law in on 9th October 1981, under President Mitterrand's presidency.
Boris Vian at the BNF
Boris Vian enjoyed little recognition in his lifetime (1920-1959). He was discovered posthumously when Jean-Jacques Pauvert republished « L’Écume des jours » in 1963. This forever young fascinating man, who imagined a new language and created a rich and diverse imaginary world, was made a legend. Jazz, theater plays, prose, poetry, translations, songs, paintings... The exhibition presents the various facets of Boris Vian’s work to highlight its unity and richness.
Tribute to Moebius
Jean Giraud, a French comic-book artist whose dark, intricately drawn fantasy worlds exerted a profound influence on graphic novels worldwide and on American science fiction films like “Alien,” “Tron” “The Fifth Element,” and “Avatar,” died on Sunday 11th March at his home outside Paris. He was 73.
Diamonds and Auctions
"Tout ce qui est rare est cher, or un cheval bon marché est rare, donc un cheval bon marché est cher."
Are these rare or expensive? Or both, perhaps.
ONE: a house that looks like a boat.
TWO: a French diamond that dates back to when France had a monarchy.
Don't forget that on Google documents, you can use the "translate" button, and it is often more accurate than Google translate.
Anissa's cultural tip: an exhibition on the Dufy brothers
Like the exhibition dedicated to the Caillebotte brothers held in Jacquemart-André Museum (in this blog post), the Marmottan Monet Museum in Paris did an exhibition on Raoul and Jean Dufy. The work of Raoul is well known. His brother Jean, also a painter, is less so.
The exhibition is until the 26th June at the Musée Marmottan Monet.
Click on the title of this blog post to see a video contrasting their work.
Anissa's Cultural Tip: Bernar Venet at the Château de Versailles
Bernar (with no "d) Venet was born in 1941 and he grew up in Nice. He now lives and works in New York, and is well known today for his monumental sculptures in rusty steel exhibited in big cities around the world. Bernar Venet's work has been exhibited in Park Avenue in New York, in Shanghai and in Bordeaux. Have a look at his work in the video below (click on the title of this blog post to see it).
The exhibition is in the gardens of the Château de Versailles, and it starts on 1st June.
