impressionist lover's interpretation of modern art

General Idea's AIDS wallpaper

Alexandre Singh's
"La Critique de l'´Ecole des Objets"

i have a lot of respect for people who identify contemporary artists among their favorites.  when people ask me who my favorite artist is, i always say monet.  but, let's face it, it's pretty hard not to like monet.  so, when it comes to art, i always try to go outside of my comfort zone and try to be a modern art appreciator.  with that goal in mind, i went to the musée d'art moderne and palais de tokyo yesterday.  the first exhibit i saw at the musée de l'art moderne was entitled "HAUTE CULTURE: GENERAL IDEA une rétrospective, 1969-1994."  this was, by far, the most avant garde art i had ever seen.  there was a lot of emphasis on sexuality and the fight against AIDS, with the most notable piece (and my personal favorite) as a play on the LOVE sculpture to make a similar image with "AIDS."  the next exhibit i saw was the Van Dongen exhibit, which showcase post-impressionist (art history friends can help me with that time period identification) that were diverse in their subject and style.  some painting were very typical scenes of buildings around europe, such as his painting of sacre coeur, whereas others were semi-abstract paintings of nude women with slightly masculine bodies.  after looking at the permanent collection, we were off to palais de tokyo.  palais de tokyo is housed inside a warehouse-like building, unlike anything i have seen in paris, but very typical of new york.  the major work we saw was a light and sound installation by Alexandre Singh, entitled "La Critique de l'École des Objets," which was a conversation between objects about people.  It was unique, to say the least, humorous, and an interested way to turn ourselves inward and really gain perspective on human life.  art, to me, is something that provokes emotion or thought, so while it certainly didn't make you stop and say, "oh, well now, that's beautiful," it definitely made me think.  all in all, my love of art has been broadened.

le bucket list

four exams and twelve pages of paper later, i'm officially done with all my academic commitments for my semester in paris.  it's hard to believe that my semester here is almost over.  i had a moment of reckoning about a month ago when i was with my friends "studying" in the jardin du luxembourg, and so we decided to make our own paris bucket list.  since, i've been done with classes, that's what i've been working on.  every day in paris has become that much more precious.  there are museums to visit, shops to visit, clubs and bars to go to, and restaurants to eat at.  most exciting, though, is my sister's upcoming visit to paris.  it's been over four months since i've seen her, our longest time apart ever.  i can't wait to see her and share my beloved paris with her.

atelier d'œnologie (wine tasting)

tonight, i was lucky enough to take advantage of yet another one of educo's amazing activities, a wine tasting.  we all met in the sommelier's atelier for a sampling of wines and cheese.  after learning a little wine geography (geography never sounded so fun), we started tasting wines.  our first wine was a white mâcon from bourgogne.  a nice dry white, it paired wonderfully with the cheese (in my opinion, though, all wine and cheese are good together).  i would like to try it with some fish, maybe salmon?  we learned how to probably taste wine from smelling it, to letting it breathe, to tasting it properly so as to get all the flavors.  next up was a michel lenique rosé champagne.  this would be an ideal aperitif (pre-dinner drink).  next we moved on to the red, started with a light, fruity chénas from near beaujoulais that tasted strongly of cassis (the liqueur that makes kirs, my favorite french cocktail.  i feel like it would go great with anything really.  our second red was a minervois from languedoc (the south) that was was very strong with a note of licorice.  it would go great with a steak, lamb, or duck.  the last wine was a very sweet and fruity white muscat, great for dessert.  the entire experience was very informative and enjoyable, and i definitely want to to try a greater variety of wines before i leave france.

parents in paris

this past week, my parents visited me in paris.  honestly, it was one of the best weeks of my life.  it started last monday.  upon arrival, tons of hugs, and the giving of my carefully prepared gift basket, my parents were whisked off for "hallie mitnick's tour of the louvre."  now, i'm no rick steves, however, i think i did a pretty good job showing them the highlights.  their first parisian meal was salad and hot chocolate at angelina, then we were off the famed rue st. honoré for some shopping.  tuesday, after lunch at la durée, we attempted to go to the musée d'orsay.  finding it quite crowded, we decided to come back and took a leisurely walk along the seine to the latin quarter, where we spent the afternoon.  we dined at le grand colbert with some of my parents' friends.  wednesday, my roommate, brittany, who's studying in milan, came to paris to spend the day with me and my parents before her parents arrived.  after a breakfast of crepes, we met my parents at notre dame, which never seems to lose its magic.  then we were off to the lesser know saint-chapelle to see the ornate stained glass.  we took the metro to the arc de triomphe and then walked down the champs-elysées and avenue montaigne.  we dined at the local wine bar, a personal favorite.  thursday, we made our second and much more successful attempt to go to the musée d'orsay where we also saw the new manet exhibit which was excellent!  we then went to bon marché, a classic parisian department store, and then went up to the eighteenth to see sacre coeur.  last stop was the musée d'orangerie for a little more impressionism.  friday, we were up with the sun to get to the palace of versailles, which was just as if not more extraordinary than the last time i was there.  back in paris, we spent some time in the marais, with a lunch of falafel.  we drank champagne with my host family and then were off to the classic brasserie, bofinger.  saturday, we went to the invalides and then lunched at the lovely rue cler, a street full of food shops and cafés.  we attempted to go the opera house and found it closed.  sunday was my birthday!  i woke to a showering of good wishes and some gifts, and then we were off to my local market to make up our picnic lunch.  dinner was exceptional at le jules verne, the restaurant in the eiffel tower.  surely, one for the record books.  there's something special about switching gears from tourist to tour guide, especially when you're guiding the two people who not only influenced you in every way possible but also shared in and celebrated your dream of going to paris.  my parents did everything they could and then some to help me achieve this dream, and it was an honor and a delight to share my life in paris with them.

spring break, partie trois: nice and monaco

BEST HOSTEL EVER.  just the beginning of fun in nice.  nice was beautiful.  we spent our first day at the famous flower and fruit market and then on the beautiful beach.  a friend told me to look at the water and that is was two shades of blue (take a look at my picture).  the beach was covered in large pebbles and the sun felt so good.  the next day we were off to the principality of monaco for a touch of glamour.  the prince's palace was fantastic (cameras were prohibited, so i have no pictures, but google it!).  we then saw the port with all the luxurious yachts and the monte carlo casino with flashy cars galore.  back to our hostel we went, and we finished our break with another visit to the market.  one of the best trips ever!

spring break, partie deux: aix-en-provence

old town of aix

atelier de cezanne

provençal lavender

our next stop was the picturesque town of aix-en-provence.  after dropping our bags at our adorable little hotel, we headed to the old part of town where we semi-inadvertently ran into some friends.  we all shared a lovely provençal meal.  in the morning we explored the old town, where we found another market selling lots of provençal lavender.  then we were off to cezanne's studio which was lovely.  i was truly struck by how simple it was.  then we were back at the train stations to head to nice.

spring break, partie une: lyon

cathedral fourvière

astronomical clock at st. jean-baptiste 

brioche aux pralines

the view from our picnic spot

cheese from the market

my first stop on my spring break adventure with my friend tate was lyon, food capital of france and france's second largest city.  we went by train, which is, in my opinion, the best way to travel through france.  upon arriving, we took the tram from the train station to the tram stop near our hotel, which happened to be right by this beautiful park.  we got our hotel, dropped our things, and then were off to vieux lyon (old lyon), especially to see the cathedral fourvière.  the cathedral was amazing, a was the cathedral down the hill, cathedral st. jean-baptiste.  then we were off to the famous brasserie georges for famous lyonnais sausage.  day 2 brought us to the local market at quai des celestins, which was amazing.  we enjoyed a lunch of baguette, st. marcellin cheese (a local speciality and new favorite) and beaujoulais (also a local specialty) along with traditional lyonnais sausage brioche and strawberries.  after enjoying our luxurious picnic on the côte du rhone (coast of the rhone river... like the wine), we walked through vieux lyon and enjoyed all the shops.  we also ate a tradition south of france pastry, the praline brioche which was to die for.  our last say in lyon found us back at the market for similar fare and then we were off to aix-en-provence.