Scene - Free Museum Day in Yvelines

Free lines waiting to get into the Louvre,
wait for spring too.

And Free Spring Blossoming in Paris

Paris:- Saturday, 20. March 1999:- Readers who are writing for information about events at the end of this year are a bit too soon to get details from this column. However, I have been thinking about how to rework it, so you can plan further ahead.

Basically, I can't do much until I get the program myself - but it now looks like the basic information is in my hands - for events until next September. These I will attempt to add here in some form next week. Mind you, just the major stuff. None of the RATP's 'Event Per Day' items. These are only posted in the métro and are usually scheduled for tomorrow.

Official Internet Française - is not an event but an official decree, which I am tossing in here willy-nilly because there is an image of the brochure on the page. New 'rules' in France become law when they are published in the 'Journal Officiel,' and the publication date is always given.

By publishing, it means nobody has any excuse to plead ignorance - but I have never seen any readership figures posted for the 'Journal Officiel.' This decree about 'Internet Française' has the date of 16. March 1999, so it is pretty current.

It contains a list of commonly-used English terms and gives their official French equivalents. However, the French version comes first, so you have to read all of it to find out what has been substituted for what.

The first item is 'adresse de courier électronique,' or simply 'adresse électronique.' For purposes of business cards or letterheads, this can be shortened to 'Mél.' This stands for 'messagerie électronique,' and is not to be confused as some weird version of 'mail.'

I was under the impression that 'Mél' had become a dead duck after the magazines tried it for months and everybody kept on saying and writing 'email.' Another new official word(s) is 'courrier électronique' and this is also the equivalent of 'email.' This is followed by the yet again official 'message électronique' and its Anglo equivalent is, again, 'email.'

For 'messagerie électronique,' the 'symbol' is 'Mél' and for meaning, it says, see 'courrier électronique.' Thus, France's language eggheads have dreamed up no less than five quite lengthy equivalents for one five-letter word, email. Progress is wonderful.

Free Entry - Museums in Yvelines - I misunderstood this to be earlier, but in fact it will be next Sunday, 28. March. You probably know that Versailles is in the Yvelines Department, but did you know that Jean Monnet, André Derain, Emile Zola, Maurice Ravel, Louis Aragon, Maurice Denis and Claude Debussy also have museums in this department too? And besides these 'names,' there are dozens other interesting ones as well. Info. Tel.: 01 39 07 71 83.

Georges Pompidou - was instrumental in creating new links between the state and culture, especially in the area of contemporary art - for which Paris has the Pompidou Centre, currently undergoing extensive renovations (see below). However, until Sunday, 18. April, there is an exhibition demonstrating the 'art-links' instituted by President Pompidou, at the Jeu de Paume, right beside the Place de la Concorde. Check opening times: Info. Tel.: 01 47 03 12 50.

Preview: Salon de Maquette 1999 - this 20th annual edition kicks off on Saturday, 3. April and continues until Sunday, 11. April. Models are not what they used to be and you can see what they are like now, regardless of your age. At Paris-Expo, Porte de Versailles. Expect to see a feature on this in Metropole, as I never pass this one up.

Spring Expected Soon - and Paris is expected to burst into flower after the first tentative steps, seen already. For this reason, Paris has published a new edition of 'Les Jardins de Paris,' which is the practical program to the city's guided tours of its parks and gardens. The 70-page booklet is free and also contains information concerning visits for the deaf and those whose sight is not tip-top.

This booklet can be found in the reception areas of all Paris' 20 city halls - the Mairies of the arrondissements - and at the Paris Tourist Office on the Champs-Elysées. Your first stop should be the Parc Floral de Paris, out at Vincennes. The Parc Floral is having a spring bud show until 18. April.

Molière et Lully - has two alternate titles of 'Le Sicilien' or 'L'Amour Peintre' and it is put on by the Théâtre de l'Impossible under the direction of Robert Bensimon; and features Corine Thézier, Roger Crouzet, and Lisa Lévy. What might be giddy performances, are on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, at 18:00; beginning Thursday, 25. March and continuing until Sunday, 17. April. This takes places at the Théâtre Mouffetard, 73. Rue Mouffetard, Paris 5. Métro: Monge. Info. Tel.: 01 43 31 11 99.

200 Years of Lithos - is a new exhibition featuring the short but revolutionary history of a modern form of art expression, now at Paris' Bibliothèque Historique. Before lithography, most art was hand produced as single objects. After lithography, the offset process could be invented - which in turn gives us daily papers and magazines. But pure lithography is less than totally industrial, so it remains as an enduring artistic domain. At the Bibliothèque Historique, 22. rue Malher, Paris 4. The exhibition continues until Sunday, 4. April. Hours for the exhibition are daily except Mondays, from 10:00 to 18:00 and from 12:00 to 19:00 on Sundays. Info. Tel.: 01 44 59 29 60.

Didier Lockwood - with his quartet, will be giving two concerts a night until Saturday, 27. March. Performances at 20:00 and 22:00 at the Sunset, 60. Rue des Lombards, Paris 1. Resa. Tel.: 01 40 26 46 60, or fnac, Virgin, Billetel.

Tout sur Chéreau, Genet, Koltès - features their films, their plays and their documentaries; all at the Magic Cinéma under the heading of 'Théâtres au Cinéma.' Until Tuesday, 30. March. At the Magic Cinéma, Rue du Chemin Vert, in Bobigny. Info. Tel.: 01 41 60 12 34.

50 Créateurs de Mode - These 50 fashion designers have put together a collective of nine boutiques and called it the 'Espace Créateurs' - which you can find in the Forum des Halles, near the Porte Berger and one floor down. Open from 11:00 to 19:00, from Monday to Saturday.

The above are new events. Below are events already mentioned in this column; minus the ones that have left the scene. Also below, are some of this week's new posters and other images from the Salon du Livre - so take a skim anyway.

Le Théâtre du Châtelet - will not reopen until October of this year, but the reception area of the Hôtel de Ville now has an exhibition featuring the history of Châtelet and the theatre. This exhibition is certainly worth a look even if there is no entry charge and it is open daily from 9:30 to 18:00, except on Sundays and public holidays. This exhibition continues until 15. May. At the Salon d'Accueil, 29. Rue de Rivoli, Paris 4.

Le Printemps des Poètes - is a general manifestation of poetry and spring, scheduled to last - officially - from Sunday, 21. March to Sunday, 28. March. It is connected to the Fête de la Musique - for which I have no information - but should be taking place on street corners as well in places where poetry is habitually conducted - so look for it wherever you happen to be.

What Is Bratsch? - whatever it is, it is at the Maroquinerie until Sunday, 28. March at 20:30, except on Sundays when it is at 17:00. No Bratsch on Wednesdays. From the poster in last week's issue, I see what looks like five guys with one clarinet. If you want to see these guys, go to 23. Rue Boyer, Paris 20. Near métro Gambetta. Info. Tel.: 01 40 33 30 60. Tickets can be obtained at fnac and France Billet too.

Festival International Exit - There is more to 'Exit' than you think. There is theatre, with Robert Wilson. There is dance, with Vincent Mantsoé. There is 'Performance' with Kung Fu. There is 'Installation' with a 'Cabinet des Curiosités.' Finally, there is 'Asian Club' from London, with Joi, Pathaan, Bobby Friction, Round Eye, and Mo'Magic, among others.

It all seems as if 'Exit' is a performance festival, starting on Thursday, 25. March and continuing until Saturday, 3. April. Mo'better information may be on the Web site, or you can try the Info. Tel.: 01 45 13 19 19. At the Maison des Arts et de la Culture André Malraux, Place Salvador Allende, in Créteil. Métro: Créteil-Prefecture.

Festival de l'Imaginaire - seems like a logical follow-up to the proceeding, and it has Chinese opera, Korean dances, African and Japanese stuff; as well as 'Vilokan' from Haiti and a Qawwali ceremony from Pakistan and a Riho de Mestia choir from Georgia, which I do not think is the one in the US.

As is more the case nowdays, the Festival de l'Imaginaire has a Web site as well as an Info. Tel.: 01 45 44 72 30, to get the complete program. For reservations, call fnac at 01 45 44 41 42. At La Maison des Cultures du Monde, 101. Boulevard Raspail, Paris 6. This festival has already begun, but it continues until mid-April; so you haven't missed everything exotic yet.

A Demain Cette Nuit - is described as 'like' an 'impossible' rendezvous. If you've been to and survived the three events above, I can believe it. The best thing about this piece of musical and dancing Dada is that it comes to us thanks to Le Preau and the Centre Dramatique National located in Basse-Normandie.

Performances of 'A Demain Cette Nuit' begin on Tuesday, 23. March and continue until Saturday, 10. April; at the well-known Café de la Danse, 5. Passage Louis-Philippe, Paris 11. Métro: Bastille. This is the one you get to by taking the Rue de la Lappe and turning off at number 21. No show on Sundays. Tickets from fnac or Info. Tel.: 01 40 21 70 70.

'Saint- Pétersbourg/Vavin - is about the first lot of 'Russians' artists to invade Paris. From Vasilieff, Chagall, Soutine, Orloff, Zadkine and all the others, here are 40 of their works.

The Russians arrived in waves from the turbulent east. They came at the turn of the century, before the War and the Revolution, and after them. Many came from Saint Petersburg and stayed first at the atelier-village of La Ruche, to form the first 'Ecole de Paris.' Later, with a bit of prosperity, they took over the area of the Champagne-Première and danced at the Bal Bullier.

A parallel exhibition features the little-known Slovenian artist and photographer, Veno Pilon. He began at the Beaux-Arts in Florence and washed up in Paris in 1926. From the remains of the eastern empires, he settled into the Montparno melting pot with ease - and recorded it in line, portraits and photographic halftones - the terraces and the artists.

Musée du Montparnasse, 21. Avenue du Maine, Paris 15. Métro: Montparnasse. The Russian show continues until 1. August. Open Wednesday to Sunday from 13:00 to 19:00. Entry: 20 francs. Info. Tel.: 01 42 22 91 96.

Today's Russians in Issy - this is how the announcement begins about our second lot of Russians - which is about the celebration of the 200th anniversary of Alexandr Pushkin's birth, which Issy intends to do in a big way until Sunday, 11. April.

Issy-les-Moulineaux gets this honor because of the many Russians who settled in the area after the Revolution. The show will be a double one: rare books illustrated by Russian artists and a hundred portraits by 36 painters. You will need to clear up what will be where - between Issy's Médiathèque and the Musée Française de la Carte à Jouer.