3 art places in Metz, France

Just like I discovered Brighton when I was staying in London last October. I enjoyed a nice sunny (well in spirit) day outside of Paris. And what a day it was! We left Paris with a group of 12 people (supposed to even be 15!) and hopped on the train. A friend of mine had the great idea to organize this a few months
ago, all it took was a Facebook group, a doodle to pick the date and
voilà!

1 - Centre Pompidou-Metz

Created in 2010, its architecture was designed by an association of three architects : Shigeru Ban, Jean de Gastines and Philip Gumuchdjian. The inspiration behind the shape of the building is one of a traditional Chinese hat.
It is one of the most visited museum outside of Paris!
Its purpose is like the Centre Pompidou in Paris presents all the forms of visual art created in the 20th and 21st centuries. The idea was to create a museum based on the model of the Centre Pompidou outside of Paris, to connect to a different audience. It is not an antenna, more like a sibling. So they can use their stuff. The museum in Metz can count on the collections of the National Museum of Modern Art (aka Centre Pompidou) which has more than 100 000 artworks to chose from. Just one of the two best collections in modern and contemporary art, the main one in Europe. Makes me want to visit and see what they did with the Louvre Lens and the one in Abu Dhabi as well, but it might take a longer time to go haha.

CENTRE POMPIDOU-METZ

TIPS

Transport: The roundtrip by train costed me 46€. The earlier you book, the better. Or even cheaper take the bus , just a little bit longer and only 3€ check out Flixbus.

Lunch: book your place for lunch if you are a group. As parisians we did not think about where we would eat at 1pm after the museum with a group of 12. We walked around the city and found lots of places closed! We were lucky to find a cute bakery style café with veggie and vegan options. Check the map to see where it’s at!

The space is sooo big it took us at least 2 hours to see everything. There were 3 exhibitions, all of them are temporary, so the space is always changing. And well after seeing so much art we had so much to talk about and so many different opinions. What could we have so much to talk about you say? Well first the topics of the exhibitions, also the way the pieces were displayed, or the path presented to the visitor. Many art fights, but rest assured no one got hurt… only the cheesecake I had for desert. So much violence.

2 - FRAC LORRAINE

After that nice lunch break we walked around the little streets of Metz and headed to the FRAC. Don’t know what is a FRAC? Don’t worry I wrote a post explaining it all here 🙂 Ok first let’s acknowledge the cuteness of the place. Now for the show, called “Présences voyageuses” (Travelling presence for a litteral translation) it was very interesting to see a different kind of exhibition. Since FRAC lend their collections to other art centers, institutions,  curators, etc., they decided to showcase this activity. They collected the data on the pieces that are shown the most and where. This gives a different perspective on the artworks and the way the multiple audiences interact with it. And it makes you wonder things like why is this piece by a French artist mostly shown in this area of the world than in France? Or this country have shown these kind of artists most. Also the type of work that are shown, installations, video art, etc. Loved it.

FRAC LORRAINE

3 - Faux Mouvements

As an art center this institution showcases curated exhibition of contemporary art. Created in 1983 the space presents shows specifically thought for the space, with also artworks being produced for it. Besides the exhibition they also interact with the urban landscape of the city, develop production of public artwork and organize artists’ residencies.These ones are hosted in public establishments like schools so audiences can enter the artists’ studios and discover the different stages of production. And of course so much more…

When I was there I discovered the group show Sans tambour, ni trompette – Cent ans de guerre (Without drums, nor trumpets – 100 years of war). The curator Julie Crenn worked on the 100 years anniversary of World War 1 and how the artist responds to not only war but how they perceive everything connected to it.

FAUX MOUVEMENTS

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La vieille Charité

Many museums all-in-one place

You might be familiar with the Quai Branly in Paris the first museum in the country dedicated to the Arts and Civilizations of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. Well this one is the second in France in this kind of museum. It is well-known and organize amazing exhibitions. More than that it is a research center, on so many different subjects. There are the museum of Mediterranean archeology, the museum of African, Oceanian and Amerindian arts, the international center for Poetry of Marseille and the phd center for EHESS (School of Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences. I know, crazy!

If you are short on time, just go have a look for the incredible architecture. Built in 1640 it was dedicated to helping the beggars and designed bty the king’s architect. After the revolution and until the end of the 19th century it was turned into an hospice for children and elderly. Completely abandoned it was saved by the famous architect Le Corbusier from being destroyed and a huge restoration campaign began. It was built in white and pink stone sourced from the region, at the center of the courtyard you can admire a chapel with an oval dome.

TIP: They have a cute café in the courtyard looking over the chapel! Sweet spot to have a break between your visits and talk about the art you just saw.

Learn more about the museum and its edifice on their website (French)

MUCEM

Musée des civilisations d’europe et de la Méditerranée

Created in 2013 when the city was elected European Capital of Culture it was designed by Rudy Ricciotti. Inside you will find a permanent collection on historical and cultural evolution in the Mediterranean basin.

Again if you are short on time just go for the architecture. Same reason different era. Here the modern design fits incredibly in the ancient neigborhood. They added a platform on the sea to build the museum, which has the shape of a cube with a shell of intricate lace over it. The latter is actually made of fibre-reinforced concrete, which gives such a amazing view and color, totally different if you are looking in or looking out!

Take a stroll in this neighborhood, the modern and the ancient one called Fort-Saint-Jean. Enjoy how they designed everything around this museum, and that it fits seamlessly. You will stay there, sitting on a rock and looking over the sea. Or you might enjoy a sit-down meal? Head to top of the museum to enjoy a beautiful view of Marseille, there are two options for you. The restaurant at the top of the museum, fancy, pricy or take the little bridge and discover a cute café on the other side. Very good and more affordable, my kinda spot.

Go to the museum’s website to check their programming.

Bâtiment Georges Henri Rivière

Just a few steps away from the MUCEM discover contemporary art exhibitons organized by the museum. Artists invited, sometimes in residencies, present their work. Check out the museum programming to see what’s on when you are there! When I was, I saw new artworks created by artists based on the time they spent in the storage room of the museum.

Go to the museum’s website to check if a contemporary art expo is on!

Le Panier

The oldest district of Marseille

Get lost in the pretty streets of the historical neighborhood. You can enjoy a walk while learning about the city’s history. Marseille is quite important to France’s History as it is the first port when people arrive from the Mediterranean sea. The Panier is the oldest place in Marseille, you can’t miss it! There are several itinireraries of walks you can take. Starting from the Vieux Port and going to the Mucem while passing by the Vieille Charité. If you want someone to guide you can book an English-speaking tour!

TIP: Like they say pretty much everywhere, what matters most? LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION! Get a hotel with a great location! Stay at the Vieux Port, center city, leave the car in the underground parking and enjoy the city by walking. A great place is Staycity, they are a hotel-apartment style, very affordable, nice staff and rooms with cute balconies for an outdoors breakfast. Check them out here.

I hope I will be back in Marseille this year, so I can check out all the amazing contemporary art places that were recommended to me!

Free Map

You have waited for it and you got through the post, yay for you!

Here are my recommendations on where to eat & where to go in Marseille!

Did you know about these places?

Which one do you want to check out?

The post Two days in Marseille: an artsy weekend+a free map appeared first on MY ART BUCKET LIST.

Go to a “Brocante”

We like old stuff. Of course you can go to the Puces in Saint-Ouen, it is very pretty to see, you can find nice things but so crowded! And the best deals are not made there. Every week you can check out a Brocante (Yard sale) in many different neighborhoods of the city. The whole street is filled with tables of cutlery, plates, clothes, furniture, souvenirs and so on. Of course you can always bargain a little bit the price… Even if you don’t find anything you will enjoy looking at all of these objects.

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Leave super-heroes comics at home, read “Bande dessinées”

We are huge fans of these kind of books, there are a few specialized shops in Paris which will present you the latest trending ones. Yes they are very popular, we all grew up with them at home, later on we read and collect them as adults. We have a very famous festival in Angoulême where you can meet the authors, just like the comic-con but way more human-size and less about the movies. Also they are big part in our heritage, indeed more and more museums are organizing exhibitions about them. If you get the chance check out Valerian and Laureline, you may have seen the movie made recently, forget about it and go read this amazing BD!

Tip: Since they are quite popular a lot of them are available in English in stores! If not it might be a good way to practice your French 😉

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Check out a “must-see” exhibition

Parisians like temporary shows, the ones everyone is talking about. Last week I checked one at the Musée du Luxembourg and it was an hour-long wait line! So worth it though. Buy your tickets a few days in advance and you can even get “coupe-file” which means you don’t have to wait, or at least a little bit less! Read til the end of the post to get all the tips on where to get discount tickets and the best times to go to museums !

Walk, walk, walk

Of course just like in any big city we have a great public transport system in Paris, with the RATP you can get pretty much everywhere. The metro system is easy to understand and you can find stops allover the city. Even better they are connected to suburban trains, which will take you to big tourist attractions: Château de Versailles and even Disneyland! (I must admit I have never been to that one). But mainly if you can go there by walking, Parisians will just walk. That way you can fully enjoy the architecture. The city center is not that extended, from North to South Paris is about 6miles (9km), you can do it in 2 hours!

Tip: Afraid to get lost? You can book a smartphone for your trip so you have a GPS on hand! 4G, full access to internet and you can use it as a hotspot. Because you can book it in advance you can forget about the hastle of buying a SIM card when you get to Paris. More info on this service here.

Because Food is very important: Start the day with a “petit-déjeuner”

Of course we have brunch places and nice coffee shops. But if you want a true French breakfast it has to be croissants or chocolatines, orange juice, toasted pieces of baguette with butter and preserve NOT jam. That’s it. If that is too much sweet stuff for you or you might not be hungry in the morning have a café at the comptoir at a local place. It is called a “café-comptoir” meaning you drink your black espresso standing at the bar. If you want to sit, the price is higher. And no despite what Instagram can make you believe we do not eat Macarons for breakfast.

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Because food is very important #2: End the day by having a “planche”

Since we live in a very expensive city during the week we will often trade an evening at a restaurant for a “planche” at our local pub. It is cheaper and can be shared with the group. It means “board” in English it comes from the woodboard on which you cut the saucisson. You can get cheese board, meat boards or mix both of them. They go nicely with a red wine and they are quite cheap! Dont expect anything fancy you will probably only get some salad on it but no fruits, nuts or anything like that. If you want fancy go to a fancy place but expect to pay a higher price for just a few pieces of cheese.

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Free Paris museums guide

You won’t have time to waste in Paris, you need to be organized so you can enjoy the city to the fullest. Because I want you to have the best trip, I am partnering with Insidr (awesome travel website) to give you guys a free museums guide of Paris! In there you will find a map of museums to check out, restaurants nearby, and useful tips. Make sure you check out their website for more info on Paris and allover Europe!

Download Insidr Paris Museums Guide 

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Now you are all set to come to Paris 😉

which one of my advice will you follow? I want to know!

The post How to visit Paris like a Parisian + a free museums guide appeared first on MY ART BUCKET LIST.

Recently I went back to the Britanny city for the Biennale Les Ateliers de Rennes. Let me give you a quick intro on this event before taking you with me on a tour of the art places.

Les Ateliers de Rennes

It was first created in 2008, thanks to a non-profit, which asked companies to be sponsors of the event. The idea was to create an artistic event, which would be inspired by the links between, art, economy and the corporate world. Each edition explores a new artistic direction with an invited curator. This event creates an interesting dynamic since it is spread out throughout the city. Rennes is neither a big, nor a small city, which means you can easily get around without a car, just using public transport. Also it is only 1 hour and a half away from Paris! So you can do a little weekend getaway or even a day-trip!

Sometimes during an event, especially a major one, not every institution get the chance to be featured. It can be for various reasons, maybe because of a lack of fundings, because the artistic directions are different, or simply an exhibition did not make the cut. So satellites event are organized, even in partnership with the main one. Just like in art fairs with the smaller ones on the side, (like I have explained in my article What is an art fair?).

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FRAC Bretagne

Remember what FRAC are? Here is the one for the Brittany region. Take at least an afternoon to visit the place. The exhibition space is big with amazing shows and they have a cute little café inside for a break. I know the sky does not appear welcoming but rainy days are good for museums! Let’s keep the sunny ones for the outdoors terrace and people-watching… The architecture is by Odile Decq.

Musée des beaux arts (Fine arts museum)

Created in 1794 it was damaged during World War II and rebuilt in 1957. At the same time they started acquiring new works for the collection. Now you can also find art of 20th and 21st century. Its peculiar architecture was firstly made to host a university. Here is a list of artworks you can’t miss during your tour!

The art centers

40m Cube is many things, an art center, a place to produce art and a ressource place. Indeed not only there you will see great contemporary art exhibition and have access to education activities. They also organize training and talks for artist, to assist them in their practice. You can reach it easily by feet or by bus from the central place République. Created in 2001 it is an historic place, deeply involved in the contemporary art scene and recognized beyond the borders of France.

La Criée is also an art center dedicated to exhibitions, production and interaction. Located in the city center, it is hidden away near the Halles.

Phakt, is a little bit different. It is a cultural center, its actions are focused towards locals and inhabitants of the neighborhood. It can presents contemporary art exhibition but it also ventures in other type of activities related to history and culture.

Galerie Art & Essai, Université Rennes 2
Quite an unusual place, a gallery located within the public university. Students of a Master in curatorial studies organize all the exhibitions. They also do communication, guided tours and logistics. You will have to take the subway to get there but it is definitely worth it.

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FREE MAP

You have waited for it and you got through the post, yay for you! Here are my recommendations on where to see art, where to eat out in Rennes, France.

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The Louvre is just an example so of course this list does not include same-size institutions (very nice to tour as well) such as the Musée d’Orsay or the Centre Pompidou.

This list is for when you are feeling like avoiding the crowds or craving for something a little bit different than the tourist tour.

Antoine Bourdelle Museum

Ever wonder how it was to be a sculptor in 19th century Paris? Well there you can tour the artist’s workshop, discover the small garden of sculptures and learn about the artist’s technique.

Antoine Bourdelle was Rodin’s apprentice and Giacometti’s master. They also added a modern architectural extension to display larger-size sculptures.

A little “échappée belle” in the heart of Paris.

Entrance: Free

Museum’s website

Zadkine Museum

Another museum of sculptures hidden in the streets of Paris.

This was the place of life and work of Ossip Zadkine (1890-1967) major figure School of Paris figure and a master of the direct carving technique.

I was lucky last winter I got to tour it when it snowed. Magical…

Entrance fee: Free

(unless there is an exhibition, in this case it is 7€)

Museum’s website

Musée de la vie Romantique

Quite a hard name to translate, it literally means the Museum of the Romantic Life. The place is composed of an old house with a beautiful architecture and a small café in the courtyard. The painter Ary Scheffer used to host event there for the then intelligentsia of Paris: the artist Eugène Delacroix, the writer George Sand, the music composer Chopin to name only a few.

Also, I would say perfect place for a date if you were looking for one.

Entrance fee: Free

(unless there is an exhibition, in this case it is 7€)

Museum’s website

Gustave Moreau Museum

One of my personal favorite place in Paris. You will enter the world of the artist, his house displayed like it used to be during his life and his amazing workshop filled with the most beautiful artwork. High ceilings and walls covered in paintings, drawings, frames, your eyes do not know where to stay put.

And these stairs !!

Entrance fee: 6€

Museum’s website

Rodin Museum

This museum is in the center of Paris, it is composed of a nice garden and a little restaurant. A nice spot to have a coffee or food break under the shadows of some trees on a hot summer day. But this one is well-known and might be a little bit crowded. I suggest getting there first thing in the morning to tour it, since it is small it can be visited in an hour and you could enjoy a croissant afterwards in the garden.

If you are feeling adventurous there is a second part of the museum outside of Paris. Hop on the RER C and go to Meudon, where you can tour the house of Rodin and its workshop. Its architecture inspired the Rodin Museum in Philadelphia.

Entrance: 10€

Museum’s website

Enjoy a FREE customed Google Map of Paris for all the places to see: museums, shops, restaurants, etc. Just subscribed to my newsletter to receive the password and you will be all set!

Did you already know these places? Which one is your favorite?

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