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Europe’s largest contemporary art center: Le Palais de Tokyo

WHAT IS LE PALAIS DE TOKYO ?

The Palais de Tokyo is Europe’s largest contemporary art center since 2012. After its entire renovation, the building was designed to house two museums. The Musée d’art moderne de la ville de Paris (Modern arts museum of Paris) and the Musée national d’art modern (National museum of modern arts).

The Musée d’art moderne de la Ville de Paris has occupied the east wing of the building. The west wing has undergone several changes of use related to visual arts. It is in the west wing where the contemporary site is. The Palais de Tokyo is rich in fascinating history, inviting visitors to take a journey through artistic creation.

HISTORY

The Palais de Tokyo was first built for the International Exhibition of 1937. Its purpose was to replace the cramped Musée du Luxembourg as the national museum of modern art.

With the creation of the Centre Pompidou in 1977 and the move of part of the collections to this new location, which now houses the national museum of modern art, the Palais de Tokyo was assigned other uses. Thus, it will house the national fund of contemporary art (FNAC) before its transfer to La Defense in 1991, the institute of high studies in plastic art, or the school of cinema (FEMIS) until 1995.

Since 1995, the west wing of the Palais has been unoccupied. It was not until 2002 that this part of the building was erected as a center for contemporary art. Built for the 1937 International Exhibition, the building known as the “Palais de Tokyo” takes its name from the “Tokio quay” (today’s New York Avenue).

RECLAIM THE EARTH EXHIBITION

Reclaim the earth is an exhibition of 14 artists from around the world. This collective exhibition brings together contemporary artistic creations that seek to develop new connections with the environment. The collection’s message is the following: we are not simply on earth, we are not only in front of the landscape, but we are one with this earth. A message of responsibility and commitment seeks to repair and heal the wounds caused to indigenous peoples by colonialism and the Eurocentric vision.

This season of the Palais de Tokyo, “Reclaim the Earth,” evokes the relationships between bodies and the earth, the disappearance of some species of flora and fauna, but also spirits, biological energies, agriculture, gardening, and winemaking.

The relationships between human beings and nature are of our contemporary preoccupations. They question the ideological basis of our ways of doing and of thinking.

The artists reply to these preoccupations with creations where there are no injunctions to “go back” to former, so-called virtuous models but rather to invent other types of relationships with our environments based on what we have learned from anthropology, ethology, and ecofeminism. In other words, an inversion of rights and duties in the spheres of life, a reconsideration of non-humans as subjects and no longer as objects, and, overall, a system of relationships that are in motion within ecosystems rather than power balances.

What’s very special about this exhibit when you enter the space is the room temperature, which is relatively high. The artists tried to create a greenhouse effect to sensitize climate change preoccupations. A mix of earthy smells (Amakaba xOlaniyi Studio, Nono: Soil Temple) and a threatening sound (Megan Cope, Death Song) make the atmosphere quite heavy. The purpose is to feel with all our senses the no return point we are approaching.

THE ARTISTS
Hélène Bertin and Cesar Chevalier ; Couper le vent en trois.

These artists’ work forges links between art and agriculture. A mix of different objects made of papier-mâché come together to tell a story of land labor within a greenhouse. In the second section of the exhibition, they share knowledge about viticulture with a holistic vision of wine.

Mimosa Echard; Sporal.

Sporal focuses on the artist’s research into myxomycetes, unicellular organisms she displays, and superposes on a psychedelic patchwork. She fuses natural and industrial materials found online and in her studio.

Laura Henno ; Ge Ouryao ! Pourquoi t’as peur !

This artist presents a mix of films and photographs taken in the Comoros Islands between 2016 and 2022. She follows Patron, a boy learning to be a smuggler, and a group of teenagers living on the fringes of society.

 

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Visit Paris’s newest fashion museum: La Galerie Dior

It is no secret that Paris has been the capital of fashion since the seventeenth century. The city has been the playground for prestigious designers and couture brands like Chanel, Dior, and Saint Laurent. Today the Parisian style is not only an aesthetic choice but a philosophy. It embraces elegance, timelessness, and slow responsible fashion. The focus is on the cut and the quality of the materials. No fluff or excessiveness with a less is more approach. And what better way to understand Parisian fashion than to visit a museum dedicated to it.
Dior has recently opened a new fashion museum in Paris in the greatest secrecy, recreating in the legendary mansion of Mr. Christian Dior, a parade of the most dazzling models of the famous house. 30 Montaigne, the original showcase of the House of Dior, has reopened its doors after two years of renovation. The 10,000-square-meter mansion house retraces the legacy of Christian Dior and the six artistic directors who succeeded him.

LOCATION

For more than 70 years, the house has been crafting magical couture pieces in their atelier at 30 Avenue Montaigne in Paris. Christian Dior has made this location a legendary address since the first collection in 1947. Behind its new flagship, the House of Dior inaugurates a permanent exhibition in an extraordinary gallery, independently of its boutique. Mr. Dior wanted to be an architect; the building and the museum pay him a beautiful tribute today.
11 rue François 1er , the entrance is discreet. A few steps away behind the flagship. It’s a 2,000-square-meter scenography that disrupts the codes of museum fashion under the direction of Olivier Flaviano. Flaviano is also the former director of the Yves Saint Laurent Paris Museum.
The staging is astonishing. A circular staircase at the entrance showcases 452 dresses and 1,422 accessories, all 3D printed. Bags, shoes, perfumes, and small objects: so many testimonies of the Dior style materialized to elaborate this Diorama.
In the very place where the great couturier had set up his first workshops, the gallery tells the story of Dior. We stroll between Christian Dior’s office, preserved as it was.
The staging is astonishing. A circular staircase at the entrance showcases 452 dresses and 1,422 accessories, all 3D printed. Bags, shoes, perfumes, and small objects: so many testimonies of the Dior style materialized to elaborate this Diorama.

13 THEMES

The Dior fashion museum is built around thirteen themes and mixes projections, photographs, and archival dresses within dreamy settings. The hyper contemporary staging arranged by Nathalie Crinière is a pure marvel. Starting with the gallery entrance, which was entrusted to the British artist Marc Quinn, who was responsible for creating a work from the designer’s fingerprint.
We also discover rooms dedicated to the worlds of Beauty and Perfumery. In particular, the history of the best-selling fragrances Miss Dior and J’Adore. The most iconic models of all the designers who have worked at Dior (John Galliano, Yves Saint Laurent, Gianfranco Ferré, Maria Grazia Chiuri…) come back to life, all presented in front of a video of the show to make real and magical.
We then cross the silhouettes of the icons of femininity, Marilyn Monroe, Charlize Theron, Lady Diana, Grace Kelly, Sophie Marceau, Nathalie Portman, Nicole Kidman, Adele, and Rihanna. A story of talents and passions ends in apotheosis with this flamboyant finale, highlighting the most sumptuous evening gowns, among which shine many creations gathered for the first time in Paris.

THE CAFE DIOR

The fun doesn’t end after the fashion museum. The gallery also has a Café. It is located on the second floor and is only accessible to visitors. Along with the Café is a boutique with a selection of books and stationery. Check out our blog page to read more about our travels.
It is no secret that Paris has been the capital of fashion since the seventeenth century. The city has been the playground for prestigious designers and couture brands like Chanel, Dior, and Saint Laurent. Today the Parisian style is not only an aesthetic choice but a philosophy. It embraces elegance, timelessness, and slow responsible fashion. The focus is on the cut and the quality of the materials. No fluff or excessiveness with a less is more approach. And what better way to understand Parisian fashion than to visit a museum dedicated to it. Dior has recently opened a new fashion museum in Paris in the greatest secrecy, recreating in the legendary mansion of Mr. Christian Dior, a parade of the most dazzling models of the famous house. 30 Montaigne, the original showcase of the House of Dior, has reopened its doors after two years of renovation. The 10,000-square-meter mansion house retraces the legacy of Christian Dior and the six artistic directors who succeeded him.
LOCATION
For more than 70 years, the house has been crafting magical couture pieces in their atelier at 30 Avenue Montaigne in Paris. Christian Dior has made this location a legendary address since the first collection in 1947. Behind its new flagship, the House of Dior inaugurates a permanent exhibition in an extraordinary gallery, independently of its boutique. Mr. Dior wanted to be an architect; the building and the museum pay him a beautiful tribute today. 11 rue François 1er , the entrance is discreet. A few steps away behind the flagship. It’s a 2,000-square-meter scenography that disrupts the codes of museum fashion under the direction of Olivier Flaviano. Flaviano is also the former director of the Yves Saint Laurent Paris Museum. The staging is astonishing. A circular staircase at the entrance showcases 452 dresses and 1,422 accessories, all 3D printed. Bags, shoes, perfumes, and small objects: so many testimonies of the Dior style materialized to elaborate this Diorama. In the very place where the great couturier had set up his first workshops, the gallery tells the story of Dior. We stroll between Christian Dior’s office, preserved as it was. The Dior Gallery pays homage to Christian Dior’s first vocation as a gallery owner and art dealer. In old black and white photos, we see him with his friends Salvador Dali, Christian Bérard, and Jean Cocteau.
13 THEMES
The Dior fashion museum is built around thirteen themes and mixes projections, photographs, and archival dresses within dreamy settings. The hyper contemporary staging arranged by Nathalie Crinière is a pure marvel. Starting with the gallery entrance, which was entrusted to the British artist Marc Quinn, who was responsible for creating a work from the designer’s fingerprint. We also discover rooms dedicated to the worlds of Beauty and Perfumery. In particular, the history of the best-selling fragrances Miss Dior and J’Adore. The most iconic models of all the designers who have worked at Dior (John Galliano, Yves Saint Laurent, Gianfranco Ferré, Maria Grazia Chiuri…) come back to life, all presented in front of a video of the show to make real and magical. We then cross the silhouettes of the icons of femininity, Marilyn Monroe, Charlize Theron, Lady Diana, Grace Kelly, Sophie Marceau, Nathalie Portman, Nicole Kidman, Adele, and Rihanna. A story of talents and passions ends in apotheosis with this flamboyant finale, highlighting the most sumptuous evening gowns, among which shine many creations gathered for the first time in Paris.
THE CAFE DIOR
The fun doesn’t end after the fashion museum. The gallery also has a Café. It is located on the second floor and is only accessible to visitors. Along with the Café is a boutique with a selection of books and stationery. Check out our blog page to read more about our travels.
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Travel

Quirky meets cuisine in derrière with its unique restaurant design

LOCATION

Are you Looking for a unique restaurant design to visit while in Paris? Check out Derrière, located between République and Les Halles, in the 3rd district of Paris. Created in 2008 by the Mazouz brothers, Mourad and Hakim, the restaurant was born from a desire to receive friends every evening in a family setting, just like home.

AMBIANCE

What is unique about Derrière is that there is not only one atmosphere but several simultaneously. Its unique restaurant design is a bazaar of retro objects in rooms to mimic an apartment. There are many rooms to choose from. You can sit in the main room, the bedroom, the boudoir, or the terrace (if the weather is nice). At first glance, the aesthetic looks as if the place was decorated by a traveler collecting his best memories and bringing them back home, like a real-sized treasure box.

An imposing Norton Commando 750 motorcycle welcomes us at the entrance and makes us dream of travel. We imagine crossing roads in unknown lands to meet new people and new cultures.

There is a ping-pong table in their lounge where anyone can play in between courses. The owners are passionate about ping-pong and don’t mess around with it. They even installed lighting fixtures inspired by the game and a jar of balls. This is so that the pong player you are, amateur or professional, can play non-stop.

A little to the right, a table inspired by the 60s and 70s to make you comfortable, next to a bronze table with oriental influences and embroidered chairs. The more you go around the establishment, the more you discover travel relics such as an Air Algérie advertising poster next to Kroenenberg beer vintage advertisers, vinyl, road signs to revise your driving code, coffee tables made of Damascus wood, paintings and portraits of several artists.

The more time you spend there, the more you discover new and unique decorative pieces. If you feel like sitting on the red bench in front of the open kitchens to see all the care the chefs take in preparing your dishes, you will be surprised by your reflection on the giant truck mirror that presides. It’s like being at home, comfortably seated on velvet sofas and eating masterfully prepared French and Mediterranean cuisine.

Since the creation of the establishment in 2008, all the beautiful world has met there. One will find gallery owners, producers, editors, and more eating here. It is not just because of the unique restaurant design; the interest in what’s on the plate and what’s around it.

Reservations are strongly recommended as Derrière is always full. Check out our blog page to read more about our travels in other cities.

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All about the original concept store in Paris, MERCI

Location 

Romantic, festive, and trendy, Le Marais seduces with cobbled streets, historical places, and small stores. The concept store Merci is located in central Paris in Le Marais, a village-like district built on former marshes, from which the neighborhood takes its name. Popular with walkers and Parisians, it invites you to relax and shop! 

111 boulevard Beaumarchais, in the 3rd district. Between République and Bastille, but closer to République than to Bastille, the brand Merci has awakened the upper Marais. At first glance, this is a specific address in a regular neighborhood where people are accustomed to passing through, unaware of the beauty of the architecture and the characteristic Pre-Haussman style at first sight only. Once past the paved courtyard, its customized Fiat 500 and the 1,200-square-meter showroom reveal the unique spirit of the place. We are at Merci, the solidarity concept store.

Merci was created in 2009. It was one of the first concept stores in Paris at the time, which claimed to be fair trade. It’s the committed couple Marie-France and Bernard Cohen who launched the project. They had imagined a large fashion and decoration bazaar where a portion of the profits from sales would be partly donated to associations to protect women and children in Madagascar.

Installed in a courtyard, Merci has established itself as a place to live in. Today, the store flourished, and people of all ages come to eat and discover new designers and objects.

Ambiance 

Designed to be welcoming and revolving around conviviality and pleasure, Merci is more than just a concept store. It is a place where people decide to go for its unique atmosphere. An eclectic place that will make you discover new forms and new creations. Merci covers all aesthetic grounds and inspires you with designers’ conceptions!

The Red Fiat 500 parked in the courtyard is one of Merci’s strong and iconic symbols. It is decorated and customized according to the season. The canteen in the basement has fresh produce from the garden. As well as the two cafés, one dedicated to the cinema with silent projections in a loop. If you are into second-hand books, you should visit the second café, where you can discover books and read while drinking coffee on the terrace in the summer.

The shop is in a 19th-century building formerly occupied by a furniture and wallpaper company. The building hosts the Used Book and the Ciné Café. From the ground floor to the second floor, where you can find furniture, lighting, stationery, bath, household linen, and fashion, one feels almost at home. Some impressive spaces, such as the entrance dome and the main exhibition area, are flooded with light through its large glass roof. And, of course, the paved courtyard and its famous red Fiat 500. 

Inspiration 

Merci is a concept store that carries objects in the mix in fashion, homes, or restaurants. They host many trending designers and brands like : Bon Parfumeur, KN Industrie, Adidas, Taschen, Bose, IZIPIZI, Isabelle Marrant, etc.

The Duralex glass meets a Jars Céramistes plate created by Pierre Cazenove, the plastic crate meets with a vintage rolling table by Mathieu Mategot. Its uniqueness and beauty are in the association and the opposition of vintage vs. contemporary, artisanal vs. industrial, or expensive vs. cheaper. And this mainly can be found on all three floors of Merci. Furniture, household linen, fashion, restaurants, objects of use, and art of living are all cleverly combined. Their prices, too, since here, the wise and the exceptional, are mixed.

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The Jewel of Genoese Baroque Design: Lascaris Palace

The Baroque movement found a new home in the Nice region after leaving Italy at the end of the 16th century. The Niçois region’s architectural, secular, and religious heritage gives evidence to this. The Palais Lascaris or Lascaris Palace is an extraordinary example of Nice’s civic baroque. It is now a museum labeled Musée de France dedicated to art and old musical instruments.

In the heart of Old Town, with its large staircase covered with paintings and richly decorated living rooms with engraved patterns, is Nice’s most notable interior design, Baroque design.

The palace was built in the first half of the 17th century, the history of Palais Lascaris is linked with the history of the Vintimille-Lascaris family, the original owners of the land whom Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy, considered the “princippalissima” of the families of the Nice nobility, and thus its fame. It remained the property of the family until, Revolution in the 19th century. In 1942 it was purchased by the city of Nice and was designated as a historical monument in 1946.

It was reconstructed between 1963 and 1970, and it was finally opened to the public as a municipal museum in 1970. With the dozen ecclesiastical structures in its immediate vicinity, it forms an excellent ensemble that depicts all phases of Baroque architecture from the early 17th to the end of the 18th century.

The Lascaris-Vintmille Family

Lascaris Palace was built for Jean-Baptiste Lascaris (1600-1650), Lord of Castellar, Duke of Savoy’s camp marshal, and descendent of the Counts of Ventimiglia, between 1648 and 1650.

When the Crusaders took Constantinople, Guillaume-Pierre de Ventimiglia’s ancestor married Eudoxie Lascaris, the princess of the Byzantine dynasty, who reigned over the Nicene empire. The Counts of Tendes and other Vintimulus families adopted the Lascaris name and arms because of this connection.

The Lascaris-Vintimille family has produced many knights and dignitaries of the Order of Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem, also known as the Order of Malta.

The Collections

The old Lascaris-Vintimille family’s Baroque residence, which is a remarkable piece of Nice’s Baroque civil architecture, was transformed into the Lascaris Palace Museum in 1963.

  • Tapestries, paintings, sculptures, furniture, and art objects from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries are examples of decorative and fine arts.
  • Collection of instrumental music
  • Fund for Regional Ethnography

The ceremonial apartments on the noble floor allow you to explore the ceilings, which date from the end of the 17th century and are embellished with mythological murals or stucco embellishments.

The Antoine Gautier legacy is also housed at the Palais, which houses the second-largest collection of European scholarly musical instruments in France and is one of the best in Europe.

Lascaris Palace

On the piano nobile (main floor), the Appartements d’Éparat (reception apartments) invite you to explore their ceilings, which feature mythological frescoes and stucco work from the late 17th century, as well as the permanent collection, which focuses on the 17th and 18th centuries and includes paintings and graphic arts, sculptures, furniture, and objets d’art, as well as tapestries from Aubusson and Flanders.

The Antoine Gautier estate’s remarkable collection of antique musical instruments, which is France’s second-largest public collection after the Musée de la Musique in Paris and one of Europe’s largest, is also housed at the Palais Lascaris. In 2013, the Institut de France made a significant donation to the Museum: a collection of musical instruments once owned by Gisèle Tissier-Grandpierre, a well-known harpist and Gabriel Fauré’s acquaintance.

A stunning visual impression is enhanced by an imposing arched vestibule at the entryway, which is covered with patterns in lively tones. The temporary exhibition rooms on the first level are accessed via a massive stairwell surrounded by arcaded galleries and adorned with statues.

The second level, known as the noble floor, features original painted fresco decorations from the middle of the seventeenth century in its staterooms. Statues and rock living room ornamentation are added in the 18th century.

The walls of the museum are covered in Flemish and Aubusson tapestries, and the various rooms are equipped with 17th and 18th-century furniture. The impact and mission of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem are commemorated in many religious artworks. The Lascaris-Vintimille family left a legacy of religious artifacts, particularly reliquaries, to future generations.

All of this leads to it being one of Nice’s most beautiful palaces. The palace’s exhibition hall is currently devoted to a permanent display of the palace’s collection of old musical instruments, which was left by the famed Nice family. Gautier, Antoine (1825-1904).

How to get passes

The museum has a fee for admission. You can buy a ticket for 10 euros that allows you to visit other museums in Nice within 24 hours or a ticket for 20 euros that allows you to visit for seven days.

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Restaurant design recreating a Thai street market in Leeds, UK

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Leeds, Yorkshire’s largest city, is a great place to find all sorts of bars, restaurants, arcades, and clubs. The city has a vibrant nightlife with live music, authentic pubs, and unique shops. Among the many restaurants in Leeds is Zaap, an authentic Thai restaurant. Zaaps’s authenticity is not just in the many Thai dishes. The restaurant’s design is filled with original décor that transports you into the busy streets of Bangkok.

Zaap was first established in 2015 in Leeds. Back then, most international restaurants in Leeds were Indian and Chinese. However, Zaap’s unique experience led to Thai cuisine becoming more popular in Yorkshire city. The owner’s first idea to create Zaap would not have been possible without the team that worked to make the most authentic experience for the clients. In 2016, the Thai restaurant opened a second location in Nottingham, proof of its success.

Ambiance

As you walk in, the Zaap’s host will greet you at the door and introduce you to the vast menu, over 80 authentic Thai dishes. Additionally, the host will tell a bit about the history of the restaurant, culture, as well as dishes. The most inspiring is that the 80 dishes are all authentically Thai. Zapp did not westernize any of their dishes, bringing the customer a piece of Thailand in the city of Leeds. Not to mention that Zaap offers this experience for a reasonable price, making it accessible for most to enjoy.

As you walk by the restaurant, you can see how hard the team worked to bring an authentic Thai restaurant design. Outside, there are unique and bright neon signs and authentic colorful displays. As you enter the restaurant, Zaap’s interior features real life Tuk Tuks that you can dine in, colorful signs, an open kitchen, and wooden tables. Every aspect of the décor of the restaurant transports you to the bustling streets of Thailand.

inspiration

Zaap’s interior design takes inspiration from vintage Thai street markets. While the restaurant design might seem like a design overload to some people, every detail counts to give patrons an authentic experience. Vintage Thai markets feature a lot of signage, whether that is the brand of sodas available or bathroom location signage. Additionally, the Tuk Tuk dining tables pay homage to the main means of transportation if you need a taxi in Thailand. Lastly, wooden tables are also often present in many Thai restaurants. While the tables and chairs are a simple item, they bring just the right touch from Thai culture.

Zaap Thai Street Market is a great way to experience Thailand’s culture while still in the U.K. The restaurant helped bring Thai cuisine into the Leeds food scene and popularized it over the past years that it has been operating. The restaurant team’s ability to transport you to Bangkok with the carefully picked design is truly inspirational.