Heidi Ellison
Les Parisiens dans l’Exode
Refugees Without Refuge
Of all the horrors that occurred during World War II, the mass exodus from Paris in 1940 as the Germans approached the city may not have been the most horrendous, which may explain why the story has been so seldom … Read More
Aspic Restaurant
Unspoiled by Success
Aspic, which would appear to be just a tiny (seats 20), unassuming neighborhood restaurant, is anything but. Opened four years ago, it built a reputation for itself online and attracted a clientele of 80 percent Americans and other foreign visitors, … Read More
National Therapy by Peter Johansson
Demolishing National and Personal Demons
There are only a few days left to see “National Therapy by Peter Johansson” at the Institut Suédois. Dark yet very funny, the show, like all of Johansson’s work, casts a bemused eye on traditional Swedish symbols and stars the … Read More
Chantoiseau Restaurant
Singing for Supper
Chantoiseau is another addition to the growing roster of fine restaurants in Montmartre. The pretty name means “birdsong,” and the meal certainly had us singing with pleasure. It turns out, though, that the restaurant is named after Mathurin Roze de … Read More
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
On a Slow Burn
I am rather late in seeing Portrait de la Jeune Fille en Feu (Portrait of a Lady on Fire), directed by Céline Sciamma, but the movie, released in the United States on Valentine’s Day, is topical once again. It is … Read More
Fluidités: L’Humain qui Vient
Far-out Visions for Humanity
Le Fresnoy–Studio National des Arts Contemporains, in the small city of Tourcoing just outside of Lille, is a hotspot where art and technology meet and merge. Its current exhibition, “Fluidités: L’Humain qui Vient,” gives 16 artists a chance to explore … Read More
Chez Prout Restaurant
Not for Kids Only
Anyone who knows the language of French children can’t help but smile when they hear the name of the restaurant Chez Prout. “Prout” is kids’ cute way of making a farting sound, guaranteed to raise a smile every time, exactly … Read More
The Strange Tales of Niels Hansen Jacobsen, a Dane in Paris
Scary Fairy Tales
The variety and quality of the temporary exhibitions at the Musée Bourdelle in Montparnasse are always impressive, as they look not just at the work of the sculptor Antoine Bourdelle himself but also what was happening around him in other … Read More
Pantagruel Restaurant
Food Foreplay Leads to Creative Climax
The name of the new restaurant Pantagruel was a bit worrying. Would we leave looking like the Rabelaisian giant, known for his voracious appetite? Well, even if we did and died in the act, it would have been worth it. … Read More
Drapé
Let It Flow
The depiction of drapery has been a constant in art since Antiquity and is still often present today, although in sometimes surprising forms. The Musée des Beaux-Arts in Lyon has had the excellent idea of devoting an entire exhibition to … Read More