VINGT Paris Magazine

Residency - Dance Artists and Amateurs at Point Éphémère

Point Éphémère, an multi-disciplinary arts centre by the Canal Saint Martin will open its doors to dance artists and amateurs this Fall. Professional dance artists can take advantage of studio space, as well as artistic and technical follow up. This opportunity is open to emerging or established dance artists who would like to experiment with innovative projects during the time period October 2010 to May 2011. The deadline for applications, which can be downloaded here, is September 15, 2010. In a quest to become “a space for taking risks and exploring cultures, Point Éphémère will also offer numerous dance classes open to all. including yoga, contemporary dance, dance-theater, dance-improvisation, African dance,  Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan or Qi Gong  dance will start in September and October.

Point Éphémère

200 Quai de Valmy 75010 Paris

Métro Jaurès or Louis Blanc
Tel : 01 40 34 02 48

Bauhaus University Master of Fine Arts Program

The Faculty of Art and Design at the Bauhaus-University Weimar launched an international Master of Fine Arts course of study - "Public Art and New Artistic Strategies" in 2001. This unique program allows students to focus on art projects that go beyond the protective space of the museum and gallery. The point of departure are the different strategies and interventions of artists working in public space today. The definition of public space includes urban configurations, parks and gardens, landscapes and new media, as well as works that are communicated through radio, television or the internet.

Setting up a French association (loi 1901)

Text: Rooksana Hossenally

Living in France has undeniable advantages which go beyond good cheese and wine, such as being able to set up a non-profit  Association Loi 1901.  Ideal for those looking to do something a little different in their spare time an Association can give useful structure to a group with shared interests  or goals. VINGT Paris meets a young association set up last year by three young women, two journalists and a photographer, with a common aim: to promote the arts in Paris. The association, Le Suspendu, acts mainly as a cultural network  facilitating contact between artists and professionals.

VINGT EVENT The Arts Arena Presents Daniel Buren 5 PLACES LEFT!

The Arts Arena presents a French conceptual artist Daniel Buren, creator of the Palais Royal’s "Buren’s Columns" and advocate for the maintenance of public art works. Daniel Buren was born in 1938 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine. In 1986 he created a 3,000 m² sculpture in the great courtyard of the Palais Royal, in Paris: "Les Deux Plateaux", more commonly referred to as the "Colonnes de Buren. This provoked an intense debate over the integration of contemporary art and historic buildings. Sometimes classified as an abstract minimalist he is known best for using regular, contrasting maxi stripes to integrate the visual surface and architectural space, notably historical, landmark architecture.

This event will take place on Tuesday, February 23, at 7pm and will be followed by a cocktail reception.

For reservations email news(@)vingtparis.com.

Reservations are limited to 25 and we hold reserved seats until 7:05pm then allow other people to sit in them. Anyone who is late can come in, but won't have a blocked seat after 7:05pm

February 23, 2010 at 7pm
Grand Salon
31 avenue Bosquet
75007 Paris

Le Centquatre – Artistic Establishment of the City of Paris

Text by Tiffany Tang
Photo by Edouard Caupeil

Developed as one of the cultural projects by the Mairie de Paris with the vision of reviving the city’s contemporary art scene, Le Centquatre – its name taken from the street number 104, Rue d'Aubervilliers - is an artistic hub for up-and-coming artists sharing creation space and synergy, under the glass ceiling of recently restored unique nineteenth century architecture. Situated in a humble neighborhood of the nineteenth arrondisement the former funeral parlour, was re-opened in October 2008 after its 100 million euro renovation. Currently led by the two directors Robert Cantarella and Frédéric Fisbach, Le Centquatre aims to provide a space where art and culture interact with the public without barriers.

New Voices, New Projects - Arts Arena and Bilingual Acting Workshop

Text: Chris Holt
Photo: Jovita Valaityte and Claire Shovelton

For every successful artist in Paris, countless others are waiting for the opportunity to present their ideas to a wider audience. To help  cultivate some of this emerging talent, The Arts Arena and the Bilingual Acting Workshop are collaborating on New Voices, New Projects. This programme provides a Paris-based platform for artists to present new projects to experts in the industry and the broader international community. Each month, artists perform a new work-in-progress in an atelier-style setting, followed by a critical discussion. The first event, on October 2, 2009, was a miniature opera called Medousa, by the Vocal Motions Elastic Theatre. The show had just premiered in London and received a four-star rating from the Times.

Point Ephémère on Canal St Martin

Text and image by Will Best

If you allow yourself to meander down the Canal St Martin, you’ll stumble upon the industrial outer body of artistic haven Point Ephémère.  Once a factory, Point Ephémère now buzzes to a bohemian vibe thanks to the foresight and community based initiative from Usines Ephémère, the non-profit organisation overseeing the goings-on. The space includes 5 music studios, one dance studio, a fabric workshop, a multimedia platform and four visual art studios for artistic residence activities.  Professional and amateur artists, dancers, musicians or even large installation specialists are invited to apply for in-house residencies of up to six months, where hard to acquire materials and specialist tools are at hand to render the careful process of developing an oeuvre. 

Join VINGT at 59 rue de Rivoli - L'Aftersquat

Originally a squat occupied by the KGB (Kalex, Gaspard and Bruno), three artists have been at the forefront of the renovation of 59 rue de Rivoli and attracted many more to the group (an Association Loi 1901).

In days gone by the squat was threatened with expulsion even though it was allegedly the third most visited contemporary art venue in Paris. Ten years passed between legal issues and renovation and finally, on September 9 the centre re-opened with a new name "L'Aftersquat", under Paris City Hall sponsorship.

Danielle Voirin, a photographer who has documented the lives of many of the artists through a long-running project, covered the opening.  Join VINGT Paris for a special visit to 59 Rivoli/L'aftersquat and meet 22 artists from 10 different countries.

Sunday September 27th at 6:00 p.m. 

Creative Writing Classes for the Autumn

For any aspirational writers out there in need of refinement and inspiration....

Artist and essayist Sarah Riggs will lead a class in creative writing at the Tamaas Foundation,  84 rue de Ménilmontant, 20e starting on September 29th. Her classes explore poetry and journal writing, and will offer her own experience as well as that of other writers for a supportive environment. 

The first class will be Tuesday September 29th from 16:30 to 18:30.  Email sarah direct at sriggs (at) freesurf.fr for more information.

John Baxter, co-director of the Paris writers workshop, is offering a series of three-day Master Classes on the writing of memoir, biography and autobiography. 

Conflux Call for Applications - Art and Technology Festival in New York

Through an open submissions process, ConfluxCity will provide a platform for artists, urban geographers, technologists and others to organize and produce innovative activities dedicated to the examination, celebration and (re)construction of everyday urban life.

Drawing inspiration from Burning Man’s creed of radical self-reliance and BarCamp’s philosophy of openness and participation, ConfluxCity will adopt an open-space approach in which participants will be expected to organize, promote, and host their own activities and events.

To facilitate this format, the Conflux Festival headquarters and website will serve as a central communications hub directing festival attendees outward to individual event websites and locations.

ConfluxCity participants must submit their proposal by August 15th ($10 administrative fee). All proposals will be judged based on artistic merit, originality, and feasibility.

Guidelines and application information here.