We awoke to rain on Tuesday October 6, but it cleared by the time we left the apartment at noon. It was humid for most of the day (high 20C) and there were a few 5-10 minute sun showers that we managed to dodge. We headed out to the Foundation Cartier pour l'art contemporain to see the exhibit:
Beauté Congo -1926-2015- Congo Kitoko. On Rue Montparnasse, we passed La Closerie des Lilas, the legendary cafe (founded in 1847) with lots of greenery, where Trotsky and Hemingway and other members of the early 20th century intelligentsia hung out.
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| La Closerie des Lilas |
The Fondation Cartier's building was designed by Jean Nouvel and opened in 1994.
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| Outside of Museum |
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| Poster for Exhibit |
The exhibit surveyed nearly a century of painting, photography and sculpture in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The walls were full of vibrant colours. When we arrived, we watched a number of video interviews with several young and emerging Congolese artists whose work was displayed on the main floor. One of the artists, Kiripi Katembo (1979-2015) died of malaria on August 5, 2015 not long after visiting Paris for the opening of the exhibit. His works were large-format colour photos of life in Kinshasa reflected in puddles. The series was entitled
Un Regard.
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| 2011 |
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2011
There were a number of paintings and photographs that payed homage to the Mohammed Ali-George Foreman fight in Kinshasa in 1974.
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| Steve Bandoma (b. 1981) Je suis jeune, serie Cassius Clay 2014 |
The emerging artists covered politics, street life in a unique and colourful fashion.
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| Pathy Ishindele (b. 1976) It's My Kings 2012 |
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| Kura Shomali (b. 1979) Le General major devant sa troupe 2013 |
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| Kurt Shomali- Monsieur X devant la tribune 2011 |
JP Mika (b. 1980) painted a number of pictures of sapeurs- which he describes as ..."the young people crafting their entire identity around their clothes, their poses and the way they choose to assemble their style". The first of the following four pictures by Mika is entitled La SAPE, an acronym that refers to the "Societé des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Elégantes". These were among my favourites paintings in the exhibit.
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| La Sape 2014 |
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| Kiese na Kiese- Happiness and Joy 2014 |
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| Mandela dignite pour l'Afrique 2014 |
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La Nostalgie 2014
Monsengo Shula (b. 1959) did amazing paintings of cosmonauts in African clothing-- portraying a hope that someday Africans will be able to engage in space travel.
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Monsengo Shula, Satellite Roi, 2013
The exhibit also included a number of earlier Congolese painters who emerged in the 1970s defining themselves as "popular painters". These included Moke, Cheri Cherin and Cheri Samba.
Cheri Samba (b.1956)- Kadogo, I am for Peace that is Why I Like Weapons 2004
Moke (1950=2001) Untitled and undated (Match Ali-Foremen, Kinshasa 1974)
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There were also incredible sculptures of futuristic cities. Bodys Isek Kingelez (b. 1949) created
La Ville de Sete en 3009, one of my favourites as we have visited my cousins who live in Sete a number of times.
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| La Ville de Sete en 3009, 2000 |
There was also a few rooms of early photographs from the 1950s and even earlier paintings in the lower level of the gallery. It was an amazing exhibit-- one of our favourites from the trip.
Many black and white photos by Jean Depara (1928-1997)
After the exhibit, we walked all the way to the river and crossed over to the right bank. We first stopped for a coffee at one of the newer coffee shops in Paris called Loustic. They import their coffee beans from Antwerp.
We had a very late lunch at the Pan Quotidien in the Marais. Another small exhibit we had wanted to check out had closed at 5:00 p.m. so we wandered into L'Hotel de Ville (City Hall) where there was an exhibition of city hall workers' art in a beautiful hall where we have seen exhibits in the past. A mix of paintings, sculptures and photos. A nice tribute to the people who work at city hall.
Poster for Exhibit
We then took the Metro out to Rue Belleville in the 19th where we met my cousin Laure for dinner at La Cave de Belleville, a new wine bar located among the numerous Chinese restaurants on the street. We had a glass of wine, some charcuterie and cheese.
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| Me and Laure |
It was great to get caught up and check out a different neighbourhood.
Hard to believe that Wednesday October 7 will be our last full day in Paris!!!
You two always present the most interesting pieces of art - very interesting.
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