A 'New' Scene Full of Old Stuff

The Odéon - also known as the Théâtre de l'Europe.

Paris' Cultural Factory Goes Online

But when I am actually doing it, it is quite engrossing - think of the fun I have crawling through it, looking for 'expired' dates. Doing three of these 'events' pages just before Christmas got to be too much, so it has taken a bit of time before I could face it again.

Not only is the City of Paris continuing to plunge a lot of money into culture, its cultural affairs machine is getting itself organized. Over the past couple of weeks I have had a flood of press releases, plus a preliminary program for the entire year.

Not all of this is included in this column this week - we don't want to get up to 6000 words again! - but will be added as soon as I can digest it all.

Expired Dates - as much as possible I've gone back to previous versions of 'Scene' to verify 'until dates.' Many theatre presentations have none - hoping for long runs - and other popular exhibitions get prolongations occasionally. If in doubt, please call the 'Info. Tel' numbers to make sure the event is still playing.

Navigation Note:- For some issues of Metropole, there will be two 'Scene' pages. This regular one will be for current events in Paris, and the occasional other one will be for special 'Paris 2000' events; which will include '2000 In France' items.

If you pop back and forth within a week's two 'Scene' pages, your browser's 'back' or 'return' button may not return you to the issue's 'contents' page. Use 'This Issue' in Metropole's navigation line at the top and bottom of these pages.

• New This Week
• Coming Events, Exhibitions, Salons
• Major Events, Exhibitions, Salons
• Other Events, Exhibitions, Salons
• Art Works
• Photo Works
• Dance, Music, Opera, Theatre
• Culture, History, Science
• Sports, Bikes, Rollers
• Unclassifieds

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

De Bébé Cadum à Mamie Nova - this poster show features animals, people, and other objects used to personify products for their promotion. The posters in question are old ones, some featuring products past their heyday, some featuring ones that are still around. There are three interests satisfied here: graphics, French products and how they were promoted Until Friday, 31. March. At the Bibliothèque Forney, 1. Rue de Figuier, Paris 4. Métro: Pont Marie. Info. Tel.: 01 42 78 14 60.

Hommage à Sophie de Ségur - Sophie's father was nicknamed the 'Firebug of Moscow' and because of this Sophaletta Rostochine arrived in Paris at age 20. She married the handsome Eugène and had eight kids. To them she told stories, and these were published in 20 volumes between 1853 and 1874. This exhibition features two lectures; one for kids and one for adults. Until Sunday, 13. February. At the Bibliothèque Historique de Paris, 22. Rue Malher, Paris 4. Métro: Saint-Paul. Info. Tel.: 01 44 59 29 60.

Ramadan - is not a 'new' event and it is over for this year, but its after-effects are with us, again at the Divan du Monde. Humor runs until Friday, 14. January. And finally, there will be a 1920's 'Cabaret Oriental' from Saturday, 15. January for a whole week. Divan du Monde, 75. Rue des Martyrs, Paris 18. Métro: Pigalle. Info. Tel.: 01 44 92 77 66.

This item closes the opening 'new' events for this week. You will find some other new items below. Again, lack of time has not permitted me to form a text to go with each of the images - but they do represent current events in Paris.

Rétromobile 2000 - For old car and old boat fanciers, this show offers the best there is in Europe. Need a rare part? It will be here too, plus everything else to do with old speed machines. The dates for the coming edition of Rétromobile 2000 are from Friday, 11. February to Sunday, 20. February 2000. At Paris-Expo.

Venise de Zoran Music - is an exhibition of paintings by Zoran Music, at Paris' museum for the 18th century, which begins on Tuesday, 18 January at the Musée Cognacq-Jay, 8. Rue Elzéir, Paris 3. Opening hours are 10:00 to 17:40 daily except Mondays and holidays, until Sunday, 16. April. Info. Tel.: 01 40 27 07 21.

Il Signor di Balzac - is an Italian view of superstar Balzac, which will begin on Wednesday 26. January and continue until Sunday, 16. April. At the Maison de Balzac, 47. Rue Raynouard, Paris 16. Opening hours are 10;00 to 17:40 daily except Mondays and holidays. Info. Tel.: 01 55 74 41 80.

Paris' Museums Online - is not the official name for the new Web site that is being launched, to present Paris' own 15 museums. To begin, the city's museums will be grouped on one Web site, but are expected to eventually develop their own sites. The city has hired 20 young people to put this together, and in the future the site should be very elaborate, with a mine of information available.

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. Until Sunday, 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. 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.

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.

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. This exhibition continues until 24. January 2000. 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. Info. Tel.: 01 43 46 51 61.

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 Tuesday, 2. February, at the Musée Carnavalet, 23. Rue de Sévigné, Paris 3. Métro: Saint-Paul or Chemin Vert. Info. Tel.: 01 42 72 21 13.

Napoléon's Eye - was Dominique Vivant Denon's nickname. Denon 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 Monday, 17. January. Paris 1. Métro: Palais Royal. Info. Tel.: 01 40 20 50 50.

François Morellet - moved into the Musée Zadkine for a stay until Sunday, 5. March. See comment in a recent 'Café' column. Except Mondays, open daily from 10:00 to 17:30. Until Sunday, 5. March. At 100 bis, Rue d'Assas; Paris 6. Go to the back of the garden and turn right. Métro: Note-Dame-des-Champs. Info. Tel.: 01 43 26 91 90.

Le Temple de l'Homme - is some 60 works by Paul Landowski which have been gathered from four continents for this major retrospective exhibition. Landowski did the 'Christ Rédempteur' that overlooks Rio which will give you an idea of which league this one is in. Now on and continues until Sunday, 5. March. Open from Tuesday to Sunday; from 10:00 to 17:40, at the Petit Palais, Avenue Winston Churchill, Paris 8. Métro: Clemenceau. Info. Tel.: 01 42 65 12 73.

(de main de maître) - or, 'Les Métiers d'Art En l'An 2000' is a showcase for French 'creation,' supposedly with the best there is when it comes to hand-crafted works, such as glassware and fancy clothing; although there is much more than just this. Open daily, from 10:00 to 19:00, until Sunday, 6. February. At the Palais des Congrès, Paris 17. Métro: Porte Maillot. Entry fee: 40 francs.

Musée du Jouet - is not in Paris, but in Poissy and I have actually been in it. Its building is also worth a look for some of its 14th century parts. Old time toys often look too fragile to have been used and abused by kids; their main attraction is that they were made by hand. There are temporary exhibitions as well as a large permanent collection. Open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 9:30 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 17:30. Closed Mondays and holidays. Musée du Jouet, 1. Enclos de l'Abbaye, in Poissy. Reach by train from Saint-Lazare or by RER line 'A;' or autoroutes A13 - free - or A14 - tollroad. Info. Tel.: 01 39 65 06 06.

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.

Destins des Femmes - Colette as the symbol of women's destiny, is the subject of this exhibition of homage to Colette and all women 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.