This week we began by meting in the 19th. Festival d'Automne had invited Raqs Media Collective to show work in Oscars Niemeyer's iconic building for the French Communist Party at Place Colonel Fabien. As we only ever receive the email disclosing our location the day of the visit (and sometimes as late as the hour before), there is only really chance to skim it, find the address and get your skates on. I had therefore not noted the fact that the iconic building was indeed the headquarters of the FRENCH COMMUNIST PARTY!
We began by a guided tour of the building....It was an incredible architectural feat. From tree themed rooms to desert style conference centers and a space age style auditorium which is so unusual that it has been used for many a fashion designers shoot. The tour was all in French and was rather hard to follow. When trying to reach the 6th floor we were unable to ascend in the lift. It was really bizzare and we thought it was a dodgy lift but soon realized that a special swipe card was needed from the tour guide to be allowed into the Communist offices. Our teacher Timothy warned us - "Whatever happens don't take pictures of the Communists." The repercussions of which were sadly endured by the last group of visitors. I though it best not to ask questions about this either.
The surreal, spaceship-like auditorium-
The forest room- completed with green undergrowth (or to you and me carpet), wood grain imprinted cement walls and leaf like roof. To create a relaxing ambience during a pressing meeting.
The desert conference centre, decorated with "dead nature".
The view from the rooftop terrace was pretty spectacular too-
After all of this, the exhibition itself was....well what can I say? Rather uninspiring and bland. Named "Reading Light" and consisting of only three exhibits hung rather shoddishly in the foyer as a group we weren't all that impressed. The exhibits had communist messages and were therefore deemed appropriate for the space and what an unusual gallery space to be offered. In my opinion however, they lacked substantial depth to their message and final presentation.
After this, we walked to a gallery near Gare du Nord (and nigh on impossible to find as per usual). Jérôme Poggi Gallery is in the 10th and we were there to take a look at an exhibition by the Canadian artist Larissa Fassler which centered on the relationship of man to urban space.
This work was a map made by the artist over a series of days observing the comings and goings of people around Place de la Concorde. It really reminded me of the work on the Rough Guide that we did as our first project at Chelsea and to be honest I felt that the whole concept was a bit "already done".
The cardboard structure was slightly more interesting as It was the artists representation of space as she walked within the ugly shopping centre (which is soon to be demolished) in the centre of Paris- Les Halles. Each step was recorded as a cm and she kept notes of directions and turns she made to configure this final sculpture.
To imitate her work, the artist had chosen to cover the walls of the gallery with cardboard. I wasn't sure this really worked. It gave the space a rather dingy feel and did not help to show the work in its best light. I always think that a crisp clean white wall backdrop can make even a dirty dustbin look like a work of art.
As a group, we weren't really all that impressed with this work. And in our after class drinks at a lovely Parisian bar, people were ready to voice this opinion. Many felt that the work appeared to be preliminary research which should have led to something more resolved and final. Despite having an interesting concept, I too felt that the artist had not developed her ideas enough to create something really personal and unique.
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