visit to Palais de Tokyo

I didn't just wander the streets of Paris feeling romantic (even though that was the puspose of the trip). I couldn't resist seeing some art, of course.

João Onofre
I very much enjoyed João Onofre's "Catriona Shaw sings Baldessari sings LeWitt re-edit Like a Virgin extended version" - which is what it sounds like. Read more here (in French)

Sandra Lorenzi

Sandra Lorenzi's La Nébuleuse de l’homoncule worked perfectly in the room - white cube! - with concrete floor. But I was a bit disappointed that the lamp in the ceiling wasn't part of her installation.

Amos Gitai

Palais de Tokyo is undergoing a renovation and has taken advantage of the process by creating a totally different exhibition space downstairs - in the construction site. The film-maker Amos Gitai "presents a vast installation that replicates the emotional and intimate experience at the core of collective memory. Using images taken from a dozen of his films, he imbues the basement with a visual and sonar experience of an exceptional richness." to quote Palais de Tokyo's description of the installation. Amo's Gitai is telling the story of his father, a socialist jew who studied architecture at Bauhaus, was expelled by the Nazis, migrated to Israel, became a leading architect there and realized that revolutionary ideas didn't mean that people appreciated modern architecture - to make a complex, touching story short and simple. And of course the installation was impressive, but I can't help asking myself if not any other film about war, oppression and injustice could have made the same impression in this site. It could have worked with news clips from Egypt. You couldn't get much out of the images and clips from Gitai's films. But, anyway it made an impression ... and I love that Palais de Tokyo did this. I wonder who came up with the idea to use the construction site as part of an installation? If it was Amos Gitai - forget my critique.