Paris, France: Surrealism, existentialism and other modern ghosts

The Palais Royal does jazz

More than a week after the holidays, Paris lusciously bathed in Xmas lights; but still wept under the grey skies.

A big Dali exhibition at the Pompidou set the tone and set this writer off artistically, bastardizing everything from ancient masterpieces to vintage trash.

Hereby lies beauty - and distortion.

Soundtrack: Sous le Ciel de Paris by Edith Piaf.

The world according to Sartre: "The road to the Cafe de Flore was for me the Road to Freedom".

Barbes-Rochechouart:  Where once laid the infamous cabaret Le Chat Noir, in Boulevard de Rochechouart, now starts my exploration in the hedonistic map of Montmartre.

Bibliotheque Nationale de France: The city's best photo exhibitions enveloped in an... urban Amazonian landscape.
This month the amazing Louis Stettner and a 100 other photo masterpieces.

The Niki de Saint Phalle fountain livening up the scene at the Pompidou

Coups de coeur: Sculpture in Montmartre

Melancholy sets in the Montmartre cemetary

Dali at the Centre Pompidou: These shoes aren't made for walking

Dali: Surrealism, anyone?

More Dali...

...And more..

The Louvre: Ascend into the light

Enki Bilal sees ghosts at the Louvre

Artists unite

Caution: Punk dog

Paris eye

Jardin des Tuileries: Colourful by day and by night

Reve de Monuments exhibition: The Conciergerie does gothic

Notre dame de Paris

Librairie des Abesses: Books with a view

Louvre revisited

Le Bateau Lavoir: Modigliani, we salute you

Notre Dame: Pas mal d' ambiance

Au Bord de l' Eau: Food and lanterns on the Seine

Nuit sacree: La Basilique du Sacre Coeur

The classic Olympia sees the crowd swarm in

Centre Pompidou: The tube a la francaise

Pompidou-Notre Dame

Xmas spirit at the Pompidou

Reve de Monuments, encore

Cranes.. Rooftops

Paris, unhappy when it rains: "Quand il pleut sur Paris
C'est qu'il est malheureux", sang Piaf (Sous le Ciel de Paris)

Rochechouart Sacre

The Louvre: Napoleon's shabby shack

Montparnasse 1900: Taste of true Art Deco -  even the creme brulee is a pure work of art

Chine Machine: Vintage Montmartre

True winner: Victoire de Samothrace (Winged Victory of Samothrace) oversees the Louvre

The Eiffel Tower sinks into slumber

Soundtrack: Sous le Ciel de Paris by Edith Piaf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOXzGtlLGgw

All photography by Danai Molocha

Paris, encore

Curiosités: L'Ange du Bizarre

Paris, the city of light, and darkness...

From L'Ange du Bizarre (the Symbolists & co will hung, united under this title, at the Musée d'Orsay until June 23rd '13) to Serge Gainsbourg's grave at the intello Cimetière du Montparnasse and the rebellious stencils of Montmartre, we're moving on to places quirky, strange and dark - only to go back to light, and to movement equally, at the kingdom of the abstract: The trippy and epic DYNAMO exhibition at the Grand Palais.

Hit the road, Jacques, and head for the convivially naughty Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, to French-kiss under the erotic urban Parisian sun, or towards the eclectic back streets of Menilmontant - at La Feline, we hear, female customers excel at the occasional impromptu bare-it-all.
.
L'ange du bisou, et du bizarre.


Soundtrack: Ballade de Melody Nelson by Serge Gainsbourg.

Le Bistrot brocante d'Eva Pritsky in Menilmontant, where you go... antiquing by day, or a drink at night, accompanied by the sensual sounds of French chanson.

Straight out of the cafe-brocante, you just might come across a dance feast on the steps of  Notre-Dame-de-la-Croix.

Parc des Buttes-Chaumont: Beauty queen par excellence.

Grand Palais: A taste of DYNAMO.

Eastern Block or what?

Buttes-Chaumont: Enter the holy light.

Romantic Montmartre against Press politics...

...and against new and overpriced furniture.

Summer in the Buttes-Chaumont: Fun like the old times.

Jardin des Tuileries does old-school carnival.

Locksmith a la francaise.

Always the joker, that Serge.

 

 

 Text and photography by Danai Molocha.