St Margeret: Francisco Zurbaran

In hunting for clues as to where a certain directional Paris designer will turn next, TI has been encouraged to get into the work of Francisco Zurbaran, a 16th century Spanish painter known for his depictions of monks, nuns and martyrs. Well you can totally see how all this interesting layering could be modernized. Severe...Spanish...martyr...hmmmmm.

Hotel Raphael: Can you spot the Turner ?

Hotel Raphael on Avenue Klebler in Paris will be the official TI/Hiss Squad HQ for this season's shows precisely because it is located between the Grand Palais and Palais de Tokyo. But here are the 10 other reason's why we love it so.

1. There's a real Turner in the lobby.
2. They serve coffee in silver coffeepots. No matter how humble your room.
3. The Bar Anglais is always filled with businessmen in retreat from La Defense, battle weary diplomats and nests of haute-bourgeoise housewives from the neighbourhood hissing away. Fascinating anthropology!
4. Serge Gainsbourg spent a part of that mis-spent youth here. How chic would that seance be!
5. The gym is so quaint, you expect to hear Oliver Newton John's "Let's Get Pysical" boom over the speakers.
6. Wes Anderson shot the prequel to "The Djarling Limited" on the premises. The fictional "Hotel Chevaliar" is every inch Hotel Raphael, right down to the end shot that pans over the lowrise skyline of the neigbouring houses.
7. PS. You're one avenue away from Avenue Foch. Veeery 70's !
8.The rooms were designed to cater to the 19th century French middle class that would sweep in for the 'season" with their cases upon cases of ballgowns that required specially built closets . For the modern traveler this means a rare treat: big rooms in a Paris hotel!
9. Flatscreens and wireless in each room= instant Hiss Squad updates the moment the hiss transpires.

Preview Image from Cellar Door via Yvonne Lambert Paris

When Ti hits Paris later this month , art stop No 1will be Loris Greaud's Palais de Tokyo show. This is a huge, huge event as the press release below explains.

4000m square, 30 YEARS OLD, 3 MONTHS

Loris Gréaud’s CELLAR DOOR marks a unique occasion in the history of the Palais de Tokyo. For the first time, its entire 4000 square meter surface will be occupied by a French artist under 30. This daring wager demonstrates the Palais de Tokyo’s commitment to emerging artistic creation in France and to Loris Gréaud, who has considerably upped the ante with his already impressive body of work.

SPACE OPERA

CELLAR DOOR is an ambitious artistic enterprise: a colossal organism engendered by an original music score that distends through space and time. This mutant form of exhibition is guided in real time by a studio and an engineer located at the heart of the display; they activate the artworks, produce the assemblage of sounds, and prompt its accelerations and retractions.

WELCOME TO CELLAR DOOR!

Where gigantic fireworks are shot off underground… Where perspectives crumple like paper balls… Where stars draft intergalactic drawings calculated in light-years… Where spatio-temporal rifts split open beneath your feet… Where sculptures form before your very eyes!...

THURSDAYS /
ON THE IMMATERIAL

CELLAR DOOR
Meeting with Loris Gréaud,Thomas Roussel, Raimundas Malasauskas,
Aaron Schuster, Marc Dölger, Damien Ziakovic.
FEB 21, 2008 / 7:30pm

DES IMMATERIAUX