A 'New Look' For Scene

Early shoppers check out the windows at Printemps.

And a Missed Deadline

Paris:- Saturday, 20. November 1999:- As you will see, this week's edition of this 'Scene' column has changed its appearance. The thing is getting out of control, so I have added a 'contents' list. This should save you a great deal of scrolling.

The page has also gotten too long; so it has been divided into two pages. At this time of year I usually add a 'Christmas-New Years' page. But this year, this season overlaps with '2000 In Paris,' which is about Paris' millennium celebrations.

Rather than have two pages for 'Scene' and one each for Christmas-New Year '99 and '2000 In Paris,' I am going to try and cram all of this into two pages. Each of these will probably eventually turn out to be as long as the old 'Scene' page.

Therefore, the 'contents' list. If it works, you should be able to 'click' and pop to where you want to go, and pop back and forth between the two pages with ease.

This 'Scene' business is not meant to be a replacement for city-events guides you can buy while you are in Paris. The current weekly edition of 'Pariscope' runs to 270 pages of mostly small text. Metropole's 'Scene' is supposed like the rest of the magazine - just an impression of events in Paris.

• New This Week
• Coming Soon
• Recent New Events
• Major Exhibitions, Events
• Other Exhibitions, Events
• Art Works
• Photo Works
• Montparnasse In November
• History, Science, Literature
• Cinéma, Music, Theatre, Dance
• Sports, Bikes, Rollers
• Variados & Tickets
• 'Scene' Continues on Page II
• Paris Christmas 1999
• Paris 2000 Events

The items below are not necessarily 'new;' but they are new to this column.

Roni Horn - 'place' or 'geographic' art, is not about geography, but about an environment which is created to surround art, and is part of the art itself. An concurrent exhibition is titled 'L'Autre Sommeil' and it is supposed to be strange, fantastic - modern art, in short. Both until 30. January, at the Paris' Musée d'Art Modern, 11. Avenue du Président-Wilson, Paris 16. Métro: Ièna or Alma-Marceau. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00; to 17:30 Tuesday to Friday and to 18:45 Saturday and Sunday. Info. Tel.: 01 53 67 40 00.

Paris Invented - nearly everything usual today in Paris had to be invented. The Pont-Neuf was invented in 1606 for example. The first covered and heated swimming pool was opened on 8. July 1884, and somebody had to dream up the first cinema, which was done in 1907. See the history of all this from Friday, 3. December until the end of March, at the Pavillon de l'Arsenal, 21. Boulevard Morland, Paris 4. Métro: Sully-Morland. Info. Tel.: 01 42 76 33 97.

Souvenirs Moscouvites 1860 - 1930 has been loaned to Paris by Moscow's history museum. The exhibition has 200 hundred photos and some costumes; plus there is a wealth of other material from closer sources, such as the Vassiliev collection. Paris-Moscow-Paris fashions are the highlights. Until 13. January. Musée Galliera, Paris' Musée de la Mode, at 47. Rue Raynouard, Paris 16. Except Mondays, open daily from 10:00 to 17:40. Info. Tel.: 01 55 74 41 80.

Jean-Marc Nattier - official portraitist to the family of Louis XV, has his first retrospective which features about 70 paintings and some drawings. Except Mondays, from 9:45 to 17:00 daily. Until 30. January. Where else? At the Musée du Château de Versailles, in Versailles. You can't miss it. Take the train from Montparnasse or the RER line 'C.' Info. Tel.: 01 30 83 78 00.

L'art de la Terre Vernissée - From the middle ages to 2000; includes decorative fragments by Bernard Palissy from the grotto of the Château des Tuileries. Until 10. January; from 10:00 to 17:00 daily except Tuesdays. There are a lot of other objects to see as well at the Musée de Céramique Sèvres, Place de la Manufacture - at the south end of the Pont de Sèvres. Métro: same name. Info. Tel.: 01 41 14 04 20.

Eugène de Beauharnais - or Honneur et Fidélité. Between the end of the 'Terror' and the fall of the Empire in 1814 Eugène de Beauharnais had an exciting life, and won every honor to be had. But did he do it on his own or was he helped by his uncle? Until Monday, 3. January; open daily except Tuesdays, from 10:00 to 17:00. Musée du Château de Malmaison in Reuil-Malmaison. Métro or RER line 'A' to La Défense; then bus 258. Info. Tel.: 01 41 29 05 55.

An Ostentatious Auto-Clock - nicknamed 'de Charles Quint.' Augsburg was famous for its clockworks and especially for its 50 auto-clocks. Three in the form of sailing ships exist, and one of them is on view until Wednesday, 5. January at the Musée de la Renaissance, at the Château d'Ecouen. Not easy to find, but the SNCF can take you part way, from Gare du Nord. The bus 269 goes the final distance. Info. Tel.: 01 34 38 38 50.

This item closes new events for this week on account of a deadline long overstepped. The posters accompanying this feature will therefore be decorative only - unless you want to request details.

Salon du Cheval du Poney et de l'Ane - is a horse, pony and donkey show, lasting nine days. Morocco is the guest of honor this year. This a proper salon which features very serious competitions, judging and events - with areas for kids as well. In its 28th year, the salon will fill four of Paris Expo's halls. From Saturday, 4. December to Sunday, 12. December. Daily from 10:00 to 19:00; Tuesday, 7. December until 22:00. Métro: Porte de Versailles. Info. Tel.: 08 03 39 83 98.

Rivages - is an exhibition featuring 200 watercolors depicting the sights and treasures to be found at the water's edge, from the Côte d'Opale on the Riviera to the bay of Mont Saint-Michel or the calanques near Cassis. Part of this expo comes from the Museum of Natural History and also has an aquarium, plus sails rippling in the wind. At the Espace Electra, 6. Rue Récamier, Paris 7. Open daily except Monday, from 12:00 to 19:00. Métro: Sèvres-Babylone. Info. Tel.: 01 53 63 23 45.

Robert Desnos - was a popular pioneer surrealist. All surrealism was pioneering, but not all of it was 'popular.' Desnos is having homage paid to him apparently at the bookshop of the Paris' Bibliothéque Historique, which is a few doors away from the Bibliothéque Historique itself, in the Rue Pavée. Exhibition at 22. Rue Malher, Paris 4. Métro: Saint-Paul. Info. Tel.: 01 44 59 29 60.

Maitres de l'Encre - features Chang Dai-Chien, T'ang Hayen and Zao Wou-Ki, three Chinese brush masters, with their limpid ink sketches done on the fly, that look as if they are still wet. Until 6. February, from Wednesday to Sunday; from10:00 to 12:00 and from 13:30 to 18:00. At the Musée de Pontoise, 4. Rue Lemercier, Pontoise. Access via SNCF from Gare du Nord or Saint-Lazare. Info. Tel.: 01 30 38 02 40.

Musée d'Art et d'Historie du Judaïsme - has two shows: the first is entitled 'Regards - Sur la Vie Juive au Maroc' and the second, in the 'Chambre du Duc,' will present the works of Jean-Pierre Bertrand with the title 'Ethrog, 1999.' Both exhibitions continue until Sunday, 2. January 2000.

The museum is open from Monday to Friday, from 11:00 to 18:00 and on Sundays from 10:00 to 18:00. Info Tel.: 01 53 01 86 53 and Fax.: 33 1 42 72 97 47. Since it is a new museum, there is also an Internet address you can write to for information. Musée d'Art et d'Historie du Judaïsme, in the Hôtel de Saint-Aignan. This is 'in' the Marais, at 71. Rue du Temple, Paris 3. Métro: Rambuteau.

Brésil Baroque - Between Earth and Sky - 500 years ago next 22. April, Alvarès Cabrai found an unknown land, which is known as Brazil today. Apparently unlike Peru or Mexico, Brazil was a blank slate, to be filled in by Indians, Africans and Europeans. The resulting art is little known in Europe and this exhibition will change our 'blank slate' view of it.

This exhibition continues until 6. February. Next spring, 30 centuries of Mexican art will take over, also in the Petit Palais, Avenue du Winston Churchill, Paris 8. Métro: Champs-Elysées Clemenceau. Except Monday, open from 10:00 to 17:40; to 20:00 on Thursdays. Catalogue available. Info. Tel.: 01 42 65 12 73.

Portrait of Mexico - as part of the '2000 in Paris' salute to the new world of the Americas, a film history of Mexico is a current attraction at the Forum des Images-Vidéothèque. This is in the Forum des Halles, by the Porte Saint-Eustache entry, Paris 1. Info. Tel.: 01 44 76 62 00.

La Mort n'en Saura Rien - is an exhibition of 74 pieces or sets depicting how man faces death, from two widely separated civilizations; Europe and the islands of the oceans - selected for their aesthetic qualities from public and private collections. This exhibition continues until 24. January 2000. Two other single-artist exhibitions begin on Friday, 29. October; featuring the Moroccan artist Farid Belkahia and the little-known Clovis Trouville. These continue until Monday, 3. January.

At the Musée National des Arts d'Afrique et d'Océanie, 293. Avenue Daumesnil, Paris 12. Métro: Porte Dorée and bus 46. Open daily except Tuesdays, from 10:00 to 17:30. Entry fee for the temporary exhibitions includes access to the permanent collection of art from Africa and the islands of the oceans. Info. Tel.: 01 43 46 51 61.

Napoléon's Eye - was Dominique Vivant Denon's nickname, and he has a huge portrait on the 'Denon' wing of the Louvre to prove it. Denon had his finger in every intellectual pot in his time, and ended up being the Louvre's first director, which kind of makes him the grandfather of all big museum directors. This exhibition contains his private collections and his public ones, as Napoléon's servant. At the Louvre, every day except Tuesday, from 9:00 to 17:45; with late evening to 21:45 on Mondays and Wednesdays. Until 17. January. Paris 1. Métro: Palais Royal. Info. Tel.: 01 40 20 50 50.

Here Come Les Fauves - for 30 years nobody has paid much attention to these wild men of color, who crashed in the public's consciousness in 1905 with their flaming palettes. No 'isms' here; just full-tilt color. Big names by the metre, lots of color; a perfect winter show. From 10:00 to 17:30 daily except Mondays; until 27. February 2000, at the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, 11. Avenue du Président Wilson, Paris 16. Métro: Iéna or Alma-Marceau Info. Tel.: 01 53 67 40 00.

Théo Van Gogh, Dealer, Collector - and brother of Vincent Van Gogh, put all his resources into his family, his collection and to promoting the 'unsalable' production of his brother. Théo followed all the 'isms' of the day and this varied show reflects many of them, from Camille Corot to Camille Pissarro - as well as his brother, Vincent. Until Sunday, 9. January. Except Monday, daily from 10:00 to 18:00; Sundays from 9:00 to 18:00. Musée d'Orsay, 1. Rue de la Légion-d'Honneur, Paris 7. Métro: Solférino or RER 'C' Musée d'Orsay. Info. Tel.: 01 40 49 48 84.

Chardin's Still Lifes - are called 'Natures Mortes' in French, which sort of means 'dead nature' which is not what is meant at all. Jean Siméon Chardin didn't finish paintings until they were finished in his eyes - which he kept open for 80 years until his death in 1779.

In pre-photographic times, interior light was also inferior, so Chardin's production of 200 exquisitely detailed still lifes is something of a record. For this major exhibition, 95 of them are on display at the Grand Palais until Monday, 22. November. Except Tuesdays, daily from 10:00 to 20:00 and on Wednesdays until 22:00. Reservations are required for morning visits. At the Square Jean-Perrin, Paris 8. Métro: Clemenceau. Info. Tel.: 01 44 13 17 47.

Jean Béraud et le Paris de la Belle Epoque - While the impressionists were all the rage a century ago, Jean Béaud recorded in paint the streets and byways of the City of Light, capturing the charm and the spirit of it. This exhibition presents 60 representative works and it continues until 2. February 2000, at the Musée Carnavalet, 23. Rue de Sévigné, Paris 3. Métro: Saint-Paul or Chemin Vert. Info. Tel.: 01 42 72 21 13.

Destins des Femmes - Colette as the symbol of women's destiny, is the subject of this exhibition of homage to Colette and all omen who have this their mark on this century about to end. Open daily, from 10:00 to 19:00; until Sunday, 16. January. At the top of the Grande Arche at La Défense. Métro and RER: La Défense. Info. Tel.: 01 49 07 27 57.