Musée Grévin
  • 08
  • Apr
  • 2011

Musée Grévin is a great treat for children to see up close and personal their favourite movie and sport stars.

With over 300 life-size models, the wax museum will have them in a photo frenzy as they pose next to Charlie Chaplin and Michael Jackson.

Musée Grevin, 10, blvd Montmartre, 75009 Paris, tel 01 47 70 85 50

Cranach At The Musée du Luxembourg
  • 12
  • Mar
  • 2011

If you are interested in old paintings, one exhibition not to be missed is the of Lucas Cranach. It is shown at the small and cosy Musée de Luxembourg. Be sure to buy your tickets in advance through internet or in a Fnac, otherwise you will need to queue for hours.

We loved the exhibition and the intention of it. The exhibition’s intention is a good one: to present Cranach’s work within an artistic and historical framework, exhibiting his  work side by side with that of certain of his contemporaries, most notably Albrecht Dürer, as well as providing some enlightening explanation about the roles played by the many historical figures Cranach painted.  It is clear and gives a nice idea of the art at that time. But I was most impressed with his nudes.

Here we can clearly see Cranach’s feminine ideal repeated over and over, most strikingly perhaps in the figure of Justice, an elegant figure, feline features, alabaster skin, the whole draped in an all but invisible gown of gossamer. Yes, she may be dripping with sensuality and her expression may be one of barefaced suggestiveness, but it’s alright because really she’s an allegory of Justice and she is wearing clothes !

Cranach at Musée du Luxembourg,,19 rue de Vaugirard, 75006 Paris, tel; 01 40 13 62 00; M° Mabillon or Saint-Sulpice

Akram Kahn
  • 25
  • Feb
  • 2011

Akram Kahn (with Vertical Road).At the Théâtre de la Ville from 4 to 13 March.

Akram Kahn is one of the great choreographes of this time. His dancers are like angels who observe the Earth in its crazy tredmill .

A new step, for dance… New movement and a deep dramaturgie.

Théâtre de la Ville, 2 Place Châtelet, 75004 Paris, tel 01 42 74 22 77, M° Châtelet.

Paris’ Alternative Nightlife V
  • 14
  • Feb
  • 2011

Text: Rooksana Hossenally for Vingt Paris
Needless to say that Paris doesn’t quite have a bustling nightlife to rival London or New York, but it does have its fair share of quirky and traditional bars, restaurants and cabarets, as well as a number of alternative arty music events in venues all over the city. Popular with the capital’s ‘in’ crowd, venues like La Bellevilloise and La Maroquinerie in the 20th, Point Ephémère in the 10th, Glaz’Art in the 19th and Mains d’Oeuvres at Porte de Saint-Ouen are experiencing a rise in popularity, and it’s not hard to see why. The events held at these venues often combine art and music in quirky unusual spaces that have quickly become the place to be seen, especially for those of you dying to be part of the Paris Boho scene!

Last but not least is a venue offering a mix of cultural events in the north of the city, in Porte de Saint-Ouen. A little out of the way, but worth the trip, Mains d’Oeuvres has become a respected venue hosting artistic events from more of a serious angle. Opened in 2001, in an area that desperately needed a cultural centre, it was founded by a collective of experienced professionals (including one of the co-founders of Point Ephémère). The Mains d’Oeuvres association acts as a link between art and the community. With its 4000m2 space, this venue is one of the largest of its kind in Paris. What do they do with all that space? Well, it’s quite simple: they do everything. From concerts to artist residencies, exhibitions to conferences, festivals, a restaurant…you name it, they do it!

An eclectic mix of events, the space is popular with those who know it, but the real downside is its location, meaning that it is still relatively unheard of to the lay person; your average cultural friend will have heard of it, but venturing out to Porte de Saint-Ouen may be a bit of a stretch for many. Mains d’Oeuvres is however worth the extra time on the metro, so do cast the laziness aside and make a day of it!

Mains d’Oeuvres, 1, Rue Charles Garnier, 93400 Saint-Ouen, tel. 01 40 11 25 25, M° Garibaldi