Musee du Quai Branly

[Jazz]

I suppose you could say that this trip was essentially exterior…walking and walking, un café, un verre du vin, a simple meal and, walking again. The flaneur. Lest you think I’m a complete philistine, I did actually go to two museums, Musee Montmartre and Musee du Quai Branly. Now I realize that they represent opposite ends of the museum spectrum in Paris. Loved both.

Earlier in the day, I had meandered around the 17th arrondissement and worked myself into a state of exhaustion. Along came a bus and I jumped on to relax and enjoy a fresh bus route. The final stop was at Trocodero. I leapt out and walked towards the Seine which was very close. It was late afternoon and the light was perfect. What is this oddly familiar structure?

A five minute walk along the river brought me to the Musee du Quai Branly. This museum is the stunning creation of architect Jean Nouvel and and landscape architect, Patrick Blanc. The famous ‘living wall’, le mur vegetale. It is a perfect design, interior and exterior. Given the seductive quality of the light, (it was a golden afternoon) I couldn’t bring myself to go inside yet and spent a long time immersing myself in the gardens and examining each facet of this remarkable building.

continues...

[Jazz]

A totally sensual moment in time. I was fascinated by the living wall, by all of it. Across the street, a glimpse of a photoraphy exhibit,

An exhibit within the gardens,

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Ah, a watering hole, Cafe Branly,

Parched and hungry, I made my way over. This was an ideal opportunity to refine a complex photography technique that I was developing in Paris, the SSS. (Sip a glass of wine, Swivel in the chair, and Snap away.)

Lunch was delicious, a foie gras salad, fresh baguette, a glass of chablis and un cafe. (about 18E). The museum was open until 9PM and I finally went in. It is as magnificent inside as out. The light was a tad dim and my camera was not up to the challenge, but here is a good video, taken by some architectural students on a field trip.

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The Quai Branly is indeed a splendid museum as yet undiscovered by most tourists, because it is the only national museum in Paris where local visitors still outnumber the tourists.

Naming the museum turned out to be a minefield of political correctness, because the artwork shown there was first known as "primitive arts." An alternative name was "musée des arts premiers" -- museum of first arts -- but that was insufficiently evocative.

So in the end, the museum was given the name of its address: Musée du Quai Branly. I would say that there is a considerable chance that the museum might be given the name of the person who inspired it once he is dead -- Jacques Chirac. In France, he has the reputation of a bumbler, but he has always had a passion for this kind of art, particularly from Japan, a country which he visited at least 40 times. It is also interesting to note that, before he was afflicted with Alzheimer's, Jacques Chirac spoke better Russian and Japanese than he spoke English.

[sojoh]

Jazz, I always enjoy strolling past the Quai Branley and marveling at the vegetation wall. I've had lunch at the cafe and plan to actually go into the museum in the near future. There's an exhibition on Japanese samurai starting on November 8 that looks very interesting.

Your photos do an excellent job conveying the atmosphere of the neighborhood. I like how the Eiffel Tower seems to be peeking out from behind the buildings. It always gives me one of those, "Ahh, I'm really in Paris" moments when I see it.

[nycgirl]

Great photos. I like how you captured the ET reflected on glass or peeking through foliage. And I love your photos of the living wall. I had heard of that museum but have never seen it. I had no idea how neat-looking it is.

Keep 'em coming.

[bixaorellana]

I feel as though I'm rubbing my eyes over this thread, the way one caresses a lovely texture with the hand. Your pictures make me feel as though I've been there, or enjoyed a particularly vivid dream.

There is no way to pick out a favorite part, but the living wall is exceptionally interesting and striking, with that velvety greenery enhancing and being enhanced by the the hard, linear windows. Who'd think that would work so beautifully?!

[bjd]

I particularly like the last picture with the sky reflected in the windows surrounded by greenery. I went there the day before we met up and it was cloudy, so the light wasn't as nice.

Jazz, did you go to the Photoquai exhibit too?

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Some time ago, I made a tiny report about something totally different in the gardens here, during an exhibit of Indian sculpture.

[lola]

Love that building. Thank you, Jazz!

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Here is the link to the Quai Branly which always has great temporary exhibits throughout the year in addition to the permanent collections with which Jazz tantalized us but did not show us.