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August 24 2023 / Letter 409 |
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Of course, if I suggest you go spend a day in Metz, you don’t necessarily think ‘bikini & sunscreen’… But if you are in Paris at the moment, Metz is only 1h30 away by train, so a return trip during the day is quite possible. Then the Centre Pompidou in Metz is currently hosting an exhibition on Suzanne Valadon, which is what convinced me to make this little trip. |
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I left very early in the morning and arrived at
Metz station which is also magnificent (it was voted the most beautiful station in France !) The weather wasn’t so nice, but this city is known for its weather vagaries, the local saying goes : ‘If you don’t know what to wear today, take your whole closet, you will need it!’… The picturesque alleys of the imperial district are charming and remind us of the romantic atmosphere of the 19th century, they are often pedestrianised, which is very pleasant to get around. A quick tour of the impressive Saint-Etienne Cathedral to admire Chagall’s stained-glass windows, then off to the Centre Pompidou-Metz.
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Quite a nice station, right ?! |
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Place Saint-Louis |
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A pretty alley |
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Near the Sainte-Ségolène church |
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Lovely ! |
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The ‘Lantern of God’ |
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The Centre Pompidou-Metz inaugurated in 2010, designed by architects Shigeru Ban and Jean de Gastines, looks like a big boat or a big hat. Everything inside is light and bright and the exposed wooden frame is magnificent. As soon as you enter, you find yourself in a huge space with a 4-storey building and a car (the 2 are life-size !), very surprising works that announce Elmgreen & Dragset’s Bonne Chance exhibition. We are a little taken aback, but still very enthusiastic.
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There it is ! |
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The building in the nave |
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On the 3rd floor |
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Sculpture under the framework |
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The car… |
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In the car’s trunk |
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As you could see on the previous photos, the sculptures of Michael
Elmgreen & Ingar Dragset Dragset (respectively Danish and Norwegian) are very realistic, so realistic that, on several occasions, I thought they were real people ! It is very disturbing because this duo of artists has taken over the entire space of the museum and we come across their silicone characters in totally unexpected places. Their installations are not devoid of humour, certainly surprising, if a little distressing.
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‘What’s left’ |
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'The Drawing' |
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'Boy Scout' |
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'Modern Moses' |
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Radical change of atmosphere on the upper floor in Gallery 2 with Suzanne Valadon’s exhibition – Un monde à soi. I told you last year (lettre 349) about her sublime studio located in Montmartre and it is precisely because I love this place so much that I wanted to come and see this retrospective. Thanks to this exhibition, we discover the different artistic periods of this self-taught artist: her portraits, still lifes and nudes. We also understand that Suzanne Valadon was a model for many renowned painters (Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec…), we learn that Toulouse-Lautrec was the first to recognise her talents as an artist, that her friend Degas was her main collector , we become aware that she was the first woman to exhibit her works at the Salon of the National Society of Fine Arts and we realise the importance of this daring woman in the history of art. But what I liked the most were the prints painted by Suzanne Valadon in these different paintings : the wallpapers, the upholstery, the rugs… I took pictures of these details, so if you go to see the exhibition, you can have fun finding the paintings to which they belong.
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Suzanne model for Renoir |
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Nearly 200 works on display |
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Lovely detail |
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Wallpaper |
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Upholstery fabric |
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Tiles |
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After eating a quiche… lorraine, I went to the Cour d’Or museum, which I particularly recommend if you’re coming with children as it is housed in a building that was once a medieval episcopal palace. We wander
through unexpected places with the impression of getting lost but we come across Gallo-Roman treasures, Gothic sculptures, magnificent painted medieval ceilings, sculptures from the 12th to the 16th century. There are really a lot of things to see and the scenography is a real success.
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There it is ! |
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Victory, 2nd c. apr. J.-C. |
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Head called ‘of Christ’ |
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Virgin of Mercy, 16th c. |
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Ceiling with flowers XV c. |
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Magnificent 17th-century staircase |
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Before getting back on the train, I went to see the FRAC, which, as its name suggests, is entirely dedicated to contemporary art. There was a very funny exhibition on Pippa Garner, a totally crazy 81-year-old trans artist. She spent her life inventing all sorts of totally crazy things : clothes, objects… In a video, we see her in 1982 (then still Philip Garner) invited to the famous American program The Tonight Show, where she presents her ‘essential products for contemporary survival’, she is dressed in one of her creations : a crop top costume for yuppie. Hilarious ! Her inventions parody mass consumer goods with great humour and irony. Not a bad way to end the day !
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The FRAC is here ! |
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Very, very avant-garde ! |
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Relaxed ! |
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Practical ! |
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The double hat |
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Or how to take it easy |
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When I sat on the train home, I was of course exhausted but absolutely delighted with the day. So if you are in Paris or nearby, don’t hesitate, it’s really a nice little trip ! Have a great week and I look forward to seeing you next Thursday.
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© La lettre d'Ines 2023 | Se désinscrire | CGU
3-9 avenue André Malraux, 92300 Levallois |
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