It’s nearly that time of year again… Nuit Blanche!
“What’s Nuit Blanche?” you might ask. The expression means “all-nighter” in French (although its literal meaning is “white night”), and it refers to the dusk ‘till dawn arts festival that takes place around the world once a year. Paris is celebrating the Nuit Blanche on October 4th, and there are hundreds of exciting shows and exhibitions planned all over the city, in museums, galleries and street corners. Wherever you end up this Saturday, there’s bound to be something going on just around the corner from 8pm to 7am! We’ve put together a selection of some of the most talked-about and out-there events this year…
Nuit Blanche 2014
Street Art – 75013
Fan of urban art? Head to 55 Boulevard Vincent Auriol in Paris’ 13th arrondissement and watch as 12 street artists, invited by leader Jeff Aérosol, take over the walls of the Freyssinet hall. Along the Rue de Chevaleret, seven different street artists will be creating giant human silhouettes on the sides of buildings, and in the train stations Gare d’Austerlitz and Massena, there will be a selection of 13 street-art themed exhibitions.
Natural Ingredients – 75004
Stay central and visit the Tapestry hall at the Hôtel de Ville, where Motoi Yamamoto will be spending the entire night on his knees, carefully pouring salt into a giant labyrinth/garden. At the Hôtel de Ville itself, Hicham Berrada will be performing chemical reactions, the live video projected onto a giant screen, to the music of Laurent Durupt. For more science-based art, just down the road at the Billettes church, you’ll find the “Big Bang” experiment, a sound performance piece. Intriguing…!
Going, Going, SOLD – 75009
Take a peek at the stunning collection of art and priceless object that normally stay backstage at the auction house Hôtel de vente Drouot. Learn all about the auctioneers, and see what’s going under the hammer next.
On the Rails – 75015
Different groups of dancers, actors and artists are taking over part of the “Petite Ceinture”, Paris’ abandonned railway. All through the night there will be continuous and unpredictable performances along the 0.8 miles of disused train tracks. Where is it? Connecting the André Citroen park to the George Brassens park.
The World’s a Stage – 75005
The American artist Mark Jenkins will be exhibiting his work at the Place du Panthéon in Paris’ Latin quarter. His “hyper-realist” work is designed to destabilise and unnerve his audience and passers by. Jenkins uses Tape Art, for which he is now known as a master, to create unexpected, dramatic scenes.
Getting Around
You won’t be able to avoid the Nuit Blanche – there are even exhibitions and performances taking place on public transport! In particular, line 3 of the tramway T3a, and at the Maryse Bastié and George Brassens stations. Several of the metro lines stay open all night, but it’s best to check www.ratp.fr beforehand. We recommend staying in one area, because there’ll be so much to see you don’t want to be in a rush. See what’s on where on the Paris website.
