Archives for “Art & culture” tag

Had enough of the city centre? In the Rue de Bagnolet, 20th arrondissement, you can really enjoy a night out. Here are 2 cool places. One is a concert hall Fleched’Or (102 Bis, rue de Bagnolet) and the other is bar Le Piston Pélican. So you can combine the two, but also stay at the bar Le Piston Pélican- things are going on here as well-exhibitions, concerts. Or if you prefer no „events”, a drink at the Pélican can be just enough.

Piston Pélican is a mixture of a local friendly bar, arty on one side, style bistro Parisien on the other. It’s unusual and original, like it’s name. Le Piston means a person that is a connection in “the right places” so nepotism in the hands of pelican.

They have benches with art deco designed tables, in combination with some parodic arty works gets ironic-collage impressions. The cooked eggs at the counter are a funny detail as well as the Pelicans drawings on different parts in the bar.

The atmosphere is friendly, crowded on weekend nights when there are concerts or DJ’s. Other days are calm but not boring, with selected music.

Pelican is not going to disappoint.

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/pistonpelican

The Palais de justice is not a place where people go spontaneously when they visit a new town, but I find it just as interesting as cafes, museums and markets to learn about and understand the society and its way of functioning. Judicial rituals, roles, power representations-all so visible at the national courthouses are extremely interesting to observe (not understanding the language makes it even more apparent). There is of course a dose of suspense as seen on courtroom films and TV series, though less fairy tale like.

As the public principle is one of the most important in the French law, general public is allowed to follow the procedures. So, after passing the security check, you are free to choose a courtroom (just avoid the time between 12:30 – 13:30 as it is a lunch break).

The French law system is continental; based on Roman law and radically different from Anglo Saxon common law. It is based on written codes and not on the precedents (prior decisions), and judges have a more dominant role in a quest for proofs, not leaving all the burden of the proofs to the barristers.

As the common law system is more represented in movies, it makes it a more common vision of the process in our minds. At the Palais the process will be less theatrical and the big jury won’t be present, but the adventure of visiting the courtrooms is certainly worth a try.

Situated on the second and the third level of the Pompidou centre, the Public Information Library (Bibliotèque publique d’information) or BPI is one of the best public libraries in Paris.

It offers an exceptional collection of books that can be consulted only on-site; free admission; the possibility of 30-40 minutes of surfing (registration near the entrance to the library, from Rue Beaubourg) as well as using audio and video records. You can also watch a variety of TV programs or view archive materials.

Not only are the sources rich at BPI but it is an exceptional feeling to take a break overlooking Beaubourg or the place in front of the Centre with the usual grabbag collection of street artists. And in case you’re looking for art of a different sort, of course, the upper floors house one of the world’s most important modern art collections.

Since it’s the only library in Paris open Sundays, Sundays are crowded and the line is usually 15 minutes long. But once inside, you’ll have to admit that nowhere else can you can sit in a library and glance up at the Niki de Sainte Phalle and Jean Tinguely fountain a few meters away.

The whole experience is a real pleasure. In a single venue, you will find stunning museum, exemplary architecture, a huge reading corpus, a bookshop and cinema with auteur’s films.

My fascination with the whole Pompidou Centre never stops.

If you are a theatre lover, book shop Le Coupe Papier will surely be a place to visit.

Small in surface, this all wooden place near the Odeon theatre (now Théâtre d’Europe, also once at the same place La Comédie Française) has a huge range of theatrical literature.

Most of the works are about French theatre, but there are quite a lot of general books. You can find dramas, theory work as well as theatre magazines and theatre in education texts.

Even though it is primarily a theatre bookshop the are materials that deal with Performing arts.

Though it is possible to imagine a more friendly staff, it is certain that this place is a central reference for everything concerning theatre literature.

This is a place that doesn’t really need advertising; it is well known to Parisians and their guests. Whenever I came in the evenings, there were more people than actual room for them, and the crowd is very diverse.

The atmosphere is very easy going and nonchalant, it makes you feel like it is the weekend all the time. Especially during the spring and summer period, when the spacious terrace reminds of Mediterranean bars. Lively and vibrant, calm and relaxing in the same time, it doesn’t have a typical big city flair, because it is retracted from the main big streets.

The surroundings are attractive so you have a real choice of bars to visit and check if they are your cup of bar or not.

It is positioned near the “bobo” trendy Rue Oberkampf where there are some nice places too, but this little enclave of original somehow eccentric mix of non pretentious yet special group of bars is a one of a kind.

People come to Lou Pascalou from different parts of Paris (I travel for about 40 minutes, but never regret the trip) but it has also has the image of a neighbourhood bar. During the day neighbours come with their kids playing around, usually well known to the bar owner.

It is not only a place to drink and talk – its specialty is different exhibitions and concerts that take place here. Exhibitions change monthly and concerts are held once a week, usually at weekends.