Cinema Paradiso

I have been wanting to explore inside the Grand Palais all year and even though I have been into the exhibitions rooms to see the Dynamo art installations, I haven't had the chance to go into the main body of the Palace. The olive green art nouveau domes play host to a variety of events around the year, including the Chanel and Louis Vuitton shows during fashion week and a little colony of bees that live on the roof. Recently, though, the palace was transformed into the Cinema Paradiso, a drive in american-style cinema with a 25 foot screen. I had pre-booked tickets months ago to ensure I would get a front row seat.

NH and I arrived with high expectations and buzzing with excitement. The first few hours we spent exploring the exhibition space, including a pop up Colette shop selling pop-tarts, hershey's and other American style treats. Next we battled it out over barbie-table football and some competitive video gaming that ranged from machines from the 70's right up to games of the future! 

We feasted on mac n'cheese from the pop up Diner and then managed some fro-yo covered in chocolatey and fruity goodies. 

Sugar-fuelled we decided to take a spin on the roller-disco dance floor which turned out to be an absolute disaster. Roller skating is surprisingly difficult, especially with French kids whizzing past us. We managed a quick skate to the bar carefully located in the middle of the roller-floor and then realised we were trapped, until a very kind instructor took pity on us and gave us a quick masterclass. 

All skated out we took out places for the highlight of the night, watching Grease on the huge screen drive-in style. With the choice of cars, beds, seats and deck chairs to choose from we decided to go for the comfy beds and snuggled down ready for a good old sing along session. Reliving a classic film that I hadn't seen in ages in such a unique location was a fantastic way to spend an evening and there was no better way to explore and appreciate the beauty and timeless cool factor of the Grand Palais. Although if anybody wants to give me tickets for the Chanel fashion show next year, I won't say no!

Once the film finished we saw that the palace had transformed into a club, with the roller disco becoming a full dj set and dance floor and the diner was serving sodas with a kick. I wish we could have stayed and partied all night under the beautifully lit ceiling. We did manage to find the tree of life though! 

Mood - Wanting to re-live some more old classics. 

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Dynamo - A Century of Light and Movement in Art 1913-2013

Dynamo has arrived in Paris. About time too as I have been greatly anticipating the opening of this exhibition for months. The distinctively vague but alluring posters have been hanging tantalisingly outside the Palais for a while now and I couldn't wait to visit and see what all the fuss was about. Even before you enter the building dry ice is hovering mystically over the fountain outside, beginning the journey into the weird and wonderful. 

I dont pretend to know much about art, or even anything really but I decide which pieces I like according to things that appeal visually to me or drawn me it. The entire collection at the exhibition is profoundly interesting and each piece has a captivating appeal. I guess the point of the exhibit is to create a playful display of light, colour, distortion and reflection, which is greatly aided by the fact that many of the installations are interactive. 

The exhibition follows a never ending maze of passageways and corridors, each arranged by theme, including "abyss, "celestial", "halo" and 'flicker" and I couldn't help but notice that further we went the more playful and childish we became. The same can be said for all of the other visitors too, as we spun around in a mass of blue cording, watched transfixed as colours blinkered on an off before us and danced in-front of a screen creating shadows. A bit like falling down a rabbit hole into a magical wonderland, the creative pieces blurred reality with fantasy for a few short hours. 

This exhibition plays with your mind, at times distorting your image, flipping your frame upside down and creating bizarre reflections. Flashing lights and a blur of colours begin to addle your mind but force you to keep watching. Movement, light and colour all combine to make this a spectacularly fun and intriguing exhibit, the point is not to understand the art but to have fun, to lose yourself and become involved in the collection. In a sense, you become the art, as your reflection and distorted image becomes part of the installation and a focus of the piece. 

So much of Paris revolves around the beautifully subtle shade of Dior grey but once in a while a little light and colour creeps in, and it is these moments that make Paris truly spectacular as you realise that the city of light really comes into its own. 

My advice would be to go on a Sunday evening, as we didn't queue at all and had the palais almost to ourselves, however allow at least three hours to be able to enjoy the whole exhibit properly. We became awfully sidetracked by the blue hair and subsequently wished we had had more time. 

Sorry some of the photos are a little blurry, I think it adds to the craziness of the exhibit and adds a sense of distortion.

Mood - Playful

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