By Colette Davidson
Love art and anything cultural? Well, Paris is somewhat of a world capital in this domain and there are miles upon miles of cultural gems to be found around the city. If you’re looking for art exhibitions during the months of June and July, check out this sampling of some of the more quirky exhibits on this summer.
Kurt Cobain – The Last Shooting
Until June 21, 2014
This exhibition celebrates what was for rocker Kurt Cobain his last moments behind a professional camera. Unbeknownst to photographer Youri Lenquette, this shoot in 1994 was to be the final one before Cobain’s death. “The Last Shooting” is thus an apropos play-on-words, especially when you consider that the main accessory for the photo shoot was a revolver – a similar weapon Cobain used to commit suicide just a few weeks later. The photos are brilliant not only with this historical context in mind, but also due to the bond that Lenquette created with Cobain – allowing a rare and intimate look into the rocker’s life.
Addict Galerie
14/16 rue de Thorigny, 75003
Tuesday to Saturday 11am-7pm
Star Wars Identities
Until June 30, 2014
Calling all Star Wars fanatics! While you will have to trek (no pun intended) out to the suburbs to see this interactive exhibit, it will surely be worth it. Two enormous stages have been turned into exhibition sites, showcasing more than 200 original items from the Lucas Arts Museum. Costumes, accessories and sketches from the movie’s filming are just some of the spectacular findings on display.
La Cité du Cinéma
20 rue Ampère, 93200 Saint Denis
Everyday 10:30am-7pm
Great Black Music
Until August 24, 2014
What a way to celebrate the contributions of such black artists from America and Africa as Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Billy Holiday, Oum Kalsoum or Myriam Makeba. Their artistic reach has gone above and beyond national borders and created musical history in the 20th century. But what does “black music” mean? Discover the journey this musical tradition has taken, from Congo to the Caribbean to the streets of Harlem, and how black music in diaspora is still linked to the African continent. The exhibit is split into six parts, incorporating instruments, audiovisual archives and interactive digital activities.
La Cité de la Musique
219 avenue Jean Jaurès, 75019
Tuesday to Saturday noon-8pm, Sunday 10am-6pm
Il était une fois l’Orient Express (Once upon a time there was the Orient Express)
Until August 3, 2014
This is first and foremost an exhibit about a train so there should be an actual train involved, right? You may have to see it to believe it, but a locomotive with three train cars and a restaurant car have been set up on the esplanade outside the Institute du Monde Arabe. Once inside the museum, check out archived documents and objects, posters and films from the Orient Express. Discover the train’s historical, social and cultural influence on history, as well as its geopolitical implications – the train at one time moved through Istanbul, Damascus, Beirut and Cairo.
L’institut du Monde Arabe
1 Rue des Fossés Saint-Bernard, 75005
Tuesday to Thursday 10am-6pm, Friday 10am-9:30pm, Saturday to Sunday 10am-7pm.
Want to stick to some of the Paris museum classics? Join our Skip the Line – Louvre Tour and hop right into the Louvre Museum without waiting in line.
