Halloween Moves Inside

Tango's Last Gasp in Paris

Paris:- Saturday, 31. October 1998:- According to the Le Parisien, Halloween is definitely 'breaking over' France. This may certainly be true, but it is raining cats and dogs tonight in the Paris region, so I don't think there is going to be much 'trick or treating' around these damp streets.

American-style bars and restaurants scattered around Paris have planned their usual big night for older kids, but I've never tried this out so I can't say what goes on - outside the usual - whatever it is; because I haven't tried it out lately either.

Le Parisien is absolutely certain that the whole thing is a marketing scheme cooked up in the United States, but is not against it for all that. French kids who have tried it, like it - show me kids who don't like dressing up in disguises and running around with plastic shopping sacks, trying to fill them up with candy.

Show me the costume merchants who don't like selling them the costumes. Show me the weatherman, who is washing the night out.

The 8th edition of 'l'Invitation au Musée' has 'Le Musée, une Monde d'Images' as its theme this year; featuring everything photographic in the public collections, whether artistic or documentary. The audiovisual side is also on view as is the newer area known as 'multimedia.'

Starting Sunday, 8. November, with free entry to all 800 or more participating museums in France. The 'l'Invitation au Musée' program continues until Tuesday 22. November.

Bibliothèques de Paris - Extract:

In partnership with the Instituto Cervantes, Frederico Garcia Lorca will be celebrated with readings, recordings and film extracts on Saturday, 7. November, 15:00 at the Bibliothèque Buffon, 15 bis, rue Buffon, Paris 5. Info. Tel.: 01 45 87 12 27.

The modern art galleries grouped in the rue Louise Weiss, Paris 13, are again having a collection of exhibitions in concert. The current series continues until Saturday, 28. November, and they are generally open daily from 14:00 to 19:00, except for Mondays. The image here is named 'Jack en Lily' by Lily van der Stokker, and its home is with the Stedelijk Museum Bureau, Amsterdam. The inscription on the wall is "Lily en Jack wonen nu 10 jaar samen."

Recently named 'Living National Treasure,' this Japanese artist has been honored in Japan for reviving the 'Shino' ceramic tea-bowl tradition, which began near Nagoya in the 16th century.

Espace des Arts Mitsukoshi-Etoile, 3. rue de Tilsitt, Paris 8. Métro: Etoile. Until Saturday, 9. January; open daily except Sundays, from 10:00 to 18:00. Entry charge is 20 francs for adults. Info. Tel.: 01 44 09 11 11.

France's La Poste issues special stamps for Christmas and the end of the year, and these can be purchased and given a 'first-day frank' at the 52nd annual fall Salon Philatélique at the Espace Champerret. Also on hand will be dealers, collectors and a country of honor; and it is Ireland's turn this year.

'Philexfrance 99,' to be held from 2. to 11. July, of next year, will also have a stand at this salon.

It is likely that La Poste takes foreign orders. It offers information about its subscription service in English, German, Spanish and Italian, in addition to French. La Poste also accepts payments made with Visa or Mastercard.

52nd Salon Philatélique d'Automne
Espace Champerret, Paris 17. Métro: Porte de Champerret. Open 5, 6, 7. and 9. November, from 10:00 to 18:00. On Friday, 6. November, until 19:30. Free entry.

This annual event kicks off late this month, starting with Edmond Bacot and Olivier Mériel's photos of Victor Hugo, which can be seen starting Tuesday, 27. October, at the Maison de Victor Hugo in the Place des Vosges. Two days later, 'Ceci est Paris' starts in the city's own home of cultural affairs, at their hôtel at 31. rue des Francs-Bourgeois in the fourth.

Altogether, during November there will be 79 photo exhibitions at 61 locations around Paris. This will not be entirely 'Paris-in-love- with-itself' - there will also be photos of old Moscow, and an exhibition of soviet views of themselves from 1917 to 1981.

'Vincennes-Maillot' is a photo exhibition which retraces the building of the first métro line, 100 years ago. This collection was originally shown at the 1900 Universal Exposition, and the recently re-discovered photos have been restored. On view at the Pavillon de l'Arsenal until Sunday, 6. December. Open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:30 to 18:30 and on Sundays from 11:00 to 19:00. At 21. boulevard Morland, Paris 4. Métro: Sully-Morland. No entry charge.

Other exhibitions are also to be seen at the Maison Européenne de la Photo, 5-7. rue de Fourcy, Paris 4. Métro: Saint-Paul or Pont-Marie. Info. Tel.: 01 44 78 75 07.

This year's theme is sacred art and the religious patrimony. This seems to be a commercial show by the professionals of the restoration business. The 300 exhibitors can be seen daily from 10:00 to 19:00, from Thursday, 5. November to Sunday, 8. November. In the Carrousel du Louvre, Paris 1. Métro: Palais-Royal. Info. Tel.: 01 49 53 27 00.

Otherwise known as 'Bourdelle et Ses Elèves,' this show presents the works of some of Bourdelle's students; Alberto Giacometti, Germaine Richier and Otto Gutfreund. Bourdelle gave courses from 1909 until his death in 1929, at the Academie de la Grand Chaumière - Montparnasse's most famous art school in the '20's.

Musée Bourdelle
18. rue Antoine-Bourdelle, Paris 15. Métro: Montparnasse or Falguière. Starting Tuesday; until 7. February 1999. Open from 10:00 to 17:40 daily except Mondays. Info. Tel.: 01 49 54 73 73.

Paris' 100 Years of Tango is now into its last week, so of course this is when I finally have my hands on the official program. It is about as easy to figure out as the scrambled one I was using.

The friendly source for my original information wrote, "Many people may not be aware of the connections between Tango and Paris, or that Carlos Gardel - the 'Caruso' of tango - was born in Toulouse; immigrated with his mother at age four to Argentina, and returned in 'triumph' at the height of his career, to Paris."

Here is the fifth week's program, starting with Monday:

Monday, 2. November: at 20:30, concert by Sandra Rumolino and the trio composed of Nisinman, Maguna and Tormo. Maison de l'Amérique Latine, 217. boulevard Saint-Germain, Paris 7. Métro: Solférino. Info. Tel.: 01 49 54 75 00.

Tuesday, 3. November: starting at 20:30, concert of tango-jazz by Pablo Nemirowsky's 'Tierra del Fuego' group. Restaurant-Caveau Kibélé, 12. rue d'Echiquier, Paris 10. Métro: Strasbourg-Saint-Denis. Info. Tel.: 01 48 24 57 74.

Wednesday, 4. November: at 20:30: cabaret-tango show built around the 'Instructions' de Cortazar, with Enzo Scala, Bianca Toledo, Pablo Nemirowsky on bandonion and flute, Daniel Diaz on basse and Shyamal Maitra handling the percussions. At the Restaurant-Caveau Kibélé, see address above.

Thursday, 5. November: starting at 19:00, the 'Airs Arabes de Tango.' The Moroccan Ambassador will be hosting cocktails and there will be an Egyptian musical-comedy film shown.

A concert of tango will be performed by the Lebanese singer, Mona Sakr. This will be followed by a demonstration of the 'Airs de Tango Arabe' by a couple of Argentinean dancers. To close, a concert of the Uruguayan Tango-Candombe-Milonga, with Xavier Legasa and the Comparsa Yorugua, who are the drummers of Rio de la Plata; with Yorugua and Balakatun. Hosts for the evening's entertainment: Miloud Mimoun and Yves Thoraval.

This evening is within the framework of 'Thursdays at the Institut Arabe,' at 1. rue des Fossés-Saint-Bernard, Paris 5. Info. Tel.: 01 40 51 38 38.

Friday, 6. November: debate beginning at 18:30, about 'Tango and society,' with Nardo Zalko, Miguel Benassayag, Olver de Leon, Rafael Flores and Mme Luisa Futoransky. At the Universitie Paris IV - Institut d'Etudes Ibériques, 31. rue Gay-Lussac, Paris 5. Métro: near RER Luxembourg. Info. Tel.: 01 43 46 12 01.

Saturday, 7. November: from noon to midnight: 'Tango Non-Stop' will be accompanied by debates, films, dance exhibitions, photo exhibitions and food... at La Latina, 20. rue du Temple, Paris 4. Info. Tel.: 01 42 77 93 62. And this last event is final send-off to this five-week long, 35-day happy-toes event.

For more information, call Claude Namer at 01 48 87 74 23 or fax to: 01 48 87 66 50.

'Batéké' is the word for this exhibition of regional works by the painters and sculptors of central Africa. There are 240 pieces on display, many seen in public here for the first time; many coming from private European collections.

'Veilleurs du Monde' is another exhibition, running concurrently, presenting objects as art from a Benin atelier.

'Et Voilà' by Xavier Lucchesi, is a photo collection of the objects contained in the Musée National des Arts d'Afrique et d'Océanie.

Musée National des Arts d'Afrique et d'Océanie
293. avenue Daumesnil, Paris 12. Métro: porte Dorée. All three exhibitions are on until 4. January 1999. Open, except Tuesdays, from 10:00 to 17:30; until 18:00 on weekends. Info. Tel.: 01 43 46 51 61.

The Big Shows

Paris' Italian autumn has already started, with Tiepolo in the Petit Palais - see this issue's 'Café' column - and with paintings by Tintoretto. Thirteen are on loan from Venice and the others from French collections. These are being displayed in the Salle des Fêtes in the Mairie of the 5th. At 21. place du Panthéon, Paris 5. Until Wednesday, 13. December. Open Monday to Saturday from 11:00 to 17:45 and on Sundays and holidays from 14:00 to 17:45. Info. Tel.: 01 43 29 21 75.

Gustave Moreau has dividedfollowers; those who admire his skill as a painter and fanatic of detail, often going over the border to kitsch; and those who admire his imagination, who see it as going over the border to surrealism.