"1900" Belle Epoque exhibition at Petit Palais, Paris.

Petit Palais in Paris is currently hosting the ORIGINAL 1900 Belle Epoque exhibition when Paris was at its height of 'artistic boom'! The divine Belle Epoque-style Petit Palais was originally built to host the 'Universal Exhibition' in 1900. Here are 2 installation views. The exhibition is filled with known gems by Rodin, Monet, Toulouse -Lautrec and the awesome (if somewhat underrated) William Bougerough.  There are also lesser known works on display which makes the exhibition even more fascinating! I kept on hearing the way actress Marion Cotillard pronounce the words "Belle Epoque" when describing her favorite period in the film 'Midnight in Paris' while walking through the exhibition space...

René Lalique facade at 40 Cours Albert, Paris.

This is truly 'Secret Paris'! Even most Parisians have never noticed the facade of '40 Cours Albert' close to the Grand Palace since the street is mainly used by motorists in a hurry and not pedestrians. The entrance to this building was designed by none other than René Lalique, the most well known glass maker of the Twentieth century!!! It was designed in 1911 to serve as his home, but then became a studio and showroom. What a find...

Adrian Ghenie in Museum Pompidou.

I had the incredible privilege to see the new Adrian Ghenie painting today in Museum Pompidou. I firmly believe that the young Romanian artist is the most virtuouso painter of his generation! His painting technique 'borrows' from diverse art historical forebears such as Rembrandt, Francis Bacon and Gerhard Richter. In his painting abstraction and representation seamlessly coexist. Utter respect!!!

'Adam apples'.

Words of wisdom... Don't ever enter the food section of Galeries Lafayette on an empty stomach!  I think I can safely say that I fully grasp how poor Adam must have felt in the garden of earthly delights. I think I might have 'downplayed' the issue somewhat... To be more clear, slow and painful self - mutation seems kinder to the 'self' than this buffet of ... (uhmn)... 'Adam apples'!  Magnifique!!!

The sacred and the profound.

Details of 'sacristy' stained glass windows.

I have had a few encounters with 'divinity' (as experienced through beauty) during my lifetime. The day I stood in front of Jan van Eyck 's "Ghent altarpiece" comes to mind. It is the moment when speech 'abandons' your body. Today was such a day... As I stood in the lesser known St-Etienne-du-Mont church admiring the Medieval stained glass inside the church from a distance, I suddenly became aware of a nun silently gesturing to me to follow her behind the closed door of the 'sacristy'. At first I thought she might be gesturing to someone behind me. Once I realised she was looking at me I followed her down a corridor without question. Without a single word being exchanged she let me into a space in the sacristy filled with several jaw dropping stained glass panels glowing like jewels against the light. The best part...I could view them up-close from less than a metre away!!! I spend the rest of the day contemplating over what just took place. Through her 'mundane act' she touched my life and made divinity tangible. It might well be her favorite 'party trick', but I choose to believe she sensed my soul.