The preview video was viral on the internet and picked up by foreign press. Romain Mesnil, French pole vaulter, running the streets of Paris in nude to highlight the difficulty that sportsmen are facing in maintaining / obtaining sponsorship in times of economic downturn.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKiBEA58sxI[/youtube]

It certainly generated a lot of buzz, particularly when the preview stated towards the end “Rendez vous le 31 mars… Vous n’avez encore rien vu”. So today’s the 31st of March, and guess what, there’s not much that is new really – just an extension to that preview, saying he is now up for auction to wear your brand. Note that the newly released video now has text in English too, presumably he’s also open to foreign sponsorship that’s not based in France now that the video has gone international.

I don’t know what I can say for the passerbys in Paris (in Montmartre, in Marais, on Pont des Arts etc) on the day(s) he did the run though. What an eyeful?

I walk by this graffiti every day on my way to work. /sigh
And I still go all the way there anyway!

The Ethel Scull Series, photographed by Yoan Valat/EPA

Anyone passing by the front of the Galeries Nationales de Grand Palais for the past couple of months couldn’t have missed the promotional noticeboard. Warhol’s artworks are arriving in Paris once again, and the exhibition opens today and will run until 13th July 2009.

Entitled Le grand monde d’Andy Warhol, a selection of about 150 portraits from Ethel Scull to Chairman Mao, will be on exhibition together for the very first time and unlikely to be repeated anywhere else. This is going to be a phenomenon exhibition, that I will not be surprised for it to emulate the success of Picasso et les maîtres and the tickets will be selling like hotcakes! Buy them online ahead of your visit in order to avoid the long queue that’s inadvertently going to gather outside of the Grand Palais, taking hours before your turn comes along.

Warhol had mused : “All my portraits have to be the same size, so they’ll all fit together and make one big painting called Portraits of Society. That’s a good idea, isn’t it?”

Indeed it is. And we get to see part of this vision of his. Unfortunately, one famous figure whose portraits you will not see along those selected are those of Yves Saint Laurent. A conflict of opinion of the location where the portraits should be hung, apparently. Pierre Bergé (YSL’s partner) was reported to have told the curator, Alain Cueff, that “the rags mustn’t be mixed with the serviettes”, to reveal his discontent that Saint Laurent’s portraits would go in the “glamour section” with other fashion coutouriers instead of a recognition for him as an unique artist. Not only that, as a general rule, for over 40 years he have not been shown among other couturiers. (Read Bergé’s letter in Le Monde) However, Cueff refused to move them and Bergé refused to back down. Instead he pulled the works. What a shame.

Isn’t this amazing? I found out about this here and apparently it came from here (with step by step instructions!).

O my, and there is the Milllenium Falcon too!

Well done Hubert! Most impressive and inspiring work! :D

Ce week-end s’est tenu le semi-marathon de Paris. Quelques 22000 inscrits ont donc parcourru plus de 21km pour relier Vincennes au centre de Paris et revenir !

Quelques photos et plus d’infos ici.

Moi je suis restée postée pendant 30min à un repère pour chercher des coureurs familiers parmi la foule. Il pleuvait, il y avait du vent, il faisait froid… et pourtant ils courraient tous ! Juste un petit post donc pour féliciter tous les participants. Un bel effort sportif dans des conditions météo pas facile ! C’est très impressionnant de voir comme ça, coureurs après coureurs, qui défilent bravement… si près du but et pourtant encore si loin, ça mérite des encouragements !

Le Marathon aura quand à lui lieu le 5 avril. Le nombre maximum d’inscrit (37000) est atteint depuis mi-novembre ! Alors ça promet !

Et oui, encore une petite expo ! Cette fois-ci, on vous propose d’aller au Val de Grâce pour admirer des fresques de Saint François réalisées par Giotto. Toutes les infos ici.

De plus, tous les soirs, les passants peuvent admirer des projections d’image sur la façade du Val de Grâce. Un spectacle assez original reprenant les oeuvres exposées de façon… dynamique !

Un petit coup d’oeil :