What’s on in Paris this May?

6 May 2016

Learn More about Victor Hugo’s Brilliant Siblings and Admire Modern Art from Los Angeles

This May, Paris will be offering an outstanding line-up of cultural events related to both modern and classic art. In its Haussmannian style interiors, the Mona Bismarck American Center for art and culture will be presenting Wasteland, New Art from Los Angeles; in which visitors can look forward to discovering colourful canvases and vivid artworks. While in the 3^rd arrondissement, an original exhibition about Victor Hugo, author of Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, is drawing tourist and local’s attention. Read on to plan an exceptional cultural trip in the City of Light this spring…

Wasteland

Mona Bismarck American Center for art and culture

Until 17^th July

Located in the 16^th arrondissement, the Mona Bismarck American Center for art and culture overlooks the banks of River Seine with its Haussmannian architecture, large windows and intricate moulding detailing. The Parisian venue opened in 1986 with the aim to show a large range of American cultural and artistic experiences in the heart of the French capital.

This May, the centre will be hosting an outstanding exhibition in its colourful interiors: Wasteland. Fourteen of the best artists in Los Angeles will be gathering their innovative artworks, drawing on T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land as a thematic thread between the practitioner’s creations and inspirations. While walking along its wooden floors, take the opportunity to admire how each piece has been displayed to present a multi-dimensional conversation about the poetic of despair and the search for true connection. With the vivid shades of the contemporary artworks illuminating the 19^th century rooms, it’ll be easy to discover why LA is anything but a “cultural wasteland”.

Les Hugo, une famille d’artistes

Maisons de Victor Hugo

Until 18^th September

When thinking of French writers, the name of Victor Hugo may feature at the top the list. Author of masterpieces such as Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the French novelist himself has become known as an institution. This May, the Maisons de Victor Hugo, former home now museum for the artist, is holding an exhibition about Hugo’s relatives and their diverse talents.

Situated on the prestigious Place des Vosges, the Hugo family’s intimate yet opulent apartments feature red brick walls and anthracite roofs. Walk in rooms lined with colourful, matching wallpapers and carpets, discover a diverse range of furniture and enjoy its authenticity. Each space of the house is dedicated to the exhibition. You’ll find photographs and illuminations by Hugo’s first son Charles, alongside second son François-Victor’s intricate drawings of children, and sister-in-law Julie Duvidal de Montferrier’s delicate sketches.

A walk through art and history, ‘Les Hugo, une famille d’artistes’ is perfect for discovering more about France’s heritage…

From Los Angeles to Paris, and modern art to classic masterpieces, the French capital is offering an outstanding cultural line-up this May.