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Post by Deleted on Nov 18, 2015 21:42:04 GMT
The first part of this magnificent event was the parade at the end of September. I covered that hereThis month I returned to Lille to finally visit the various exhibitions concerning the "Renaissance" cities: Detroit, Eindhoven, Rio, Seoul and Phnom Penh. The whole concept of urban renaissance is of supreme importance in a city like Lille which was once rich and flourishing and has fallen on hard times in recent years. In terms of a sister city, I would compare it the most to Detroit, because it has large swaths of urban wasteland, plenty of drug and crime problems and is ill considered by most of the rest of the country. But it has never given up (nor has Detroit), and the Lille 3000 events spanning the last two decades are in my opinion the most impressive cultural events in France. As long as they exist, I will keep returning. I arrived in Lille on Friday 13 November 2015, a day that will live in infamy in Paris, but I was happy and enthusiastic to be back in Lille again. Whether you arrive at Lille Europe (my case) or Lille Flandres, rue Faidherbe is the first street that you will visit entering the centre of the city. All of the "Rio" statues will be there until January, and you can see the full set on the link at the beginning. I go to Lille at least twice a year but I keep noticing new details of the architecture each time. I noticed in passing that the Chamber of Commerce building is being converted into a shopping mall. Maybe it's a good idea. My hotel was on this corner, so I dropped off my bag (still too early to check in) and went exploring. I took the metro to my first destination, the Gare Saint Sauveur, and saw once again that it is very different from the Paris metro.
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Post by htmb on Nov 18, 2015 21:49:54 GMT
You're great about always pointing out architectural details, Kerouac. When I think of Lillle, "plain" often comes to mind, but I do think the details you featured in this first set of photos are interesting. I've never cared much about visiting Lille, but maybe I'll eventually change my mind after seeing your reports. Looking forward to seeing more.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 18, 2015 22:07:19 GMT
I arrived at the "Mairie de Lille" station and walked to the Gare Saint Sauveur, an abandoned freight rail station.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 19, 2015 1:16:13 GMT
Great start -- looking forward to more!
I love the architectural details you showed because they so clearly are an indication of a once proud properity.
This past Spring a friend of mine who is from Michigan went home for a visit and posted some excellent insightful photos of Detroit on her Flickr page, so images of the city are fairly fresh in my mind. It is fabulous to see the huge cityscapes of Detroit in Lille -- the photos in the arches (brilliant!), the wonderfully strange murals, and the Abandon Hope, although I haven't figured that out yet. I love that floaty transparent thing in the blank brick space.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2015 5:05:57 GMT
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Post by lola on Nov 19, 2015 5:19:24 GMT
Beautiful, K.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2015 5:38:39 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2015 13:00:44 GMT
Not far from the Gare Saint Sauveur was the Maison Folie de Moulins where the city of Eindhoven was headquartered.
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Post by mich64 on Nov 19, 2015 18:41:18 GMT
Interesting and eclectic exhibits. We get the Detroit news here as it is our regional affiliate for one of the USA networks so I have witnessed from afar its decline and abandonment to seeing many new programs and investors with people restoring it slowly, area by area. It will be a long process but it does look like renewal is happening perhaps this will happen in Lille in future as well. Finding a new purpose for large spaces is the challenge.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2015 21:21:45 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2015 22:46:44 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 21, 2015 1:08:44 GMT
Fascinating and fun! Is pretty much the entire city part of this event? Were you going all over on a bike?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2015 6:04:45 GMT
No, I was using my legs most of the time and the metro a few times. Not only is the entire city part of the event, so are around 20 suburbs, including some across the border in Belgium.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2015 7:05:40 GMT
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Post by tod2 on Nov 21, 2015 15:54:04 GMT
Just so overwhelming Kerouac! So much to absorb so I will be revisiting this thread for a while. I definitely had my favourite photos in your September part of Lille Renaissance and remember you mentioning at our dinner that you had been to Lille since I last saw you.
Am I right in thinking this is not an annual event....or is it every 4 years? The fact it was held in September would be right for me, so I hope to make it one day. Your photos are interesting, mystifying and thought provoking. You did a splendid report!
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 21, 2015 17:09:25 GMT
Oh, I don't think this report is finished yet -- hope not, anyway!
Naming just a few favorites from the last two entries: the unruly Brazilian furniture, the other-wordly vegetable garden, the building on Rue de l'Abbe Aerts, the Dutch cafeteria, the tower and its attendant beautiful noitcelfer, the mosaics, and the local architecture.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2015 17:12:16 GMT
I was now approaching the Musée Hospice Comtesse, the main location for the Cambodian exhibition. There was already this artwork in the street just before arriving. Damn, I was about 20 minutes early. So I went back to examining other things in the streets of Lille. The Cathedral Notre Dame de la Treille was just around the corner. This must be a vestige of a previous church on the site. The façade and ceremonial door date just from 1999 even though construction started in 1854. I popped in to light a candle since the terrorist attacks in Paris had taken place the night before. That's what people are doing next to the column on the right. Returning to the Hospice Comtesse, I found it closed due to security concerns. They said it would certainly open later in the morning. Back to wandering...
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Post by tod2 on Nov 21, 2015 18:21:24 GMT
Ha! I thought something was amiss from your report and now I know it was the Cambodian part. You must have been so shocked by the news of Paris, and knowing that it was this cultural cafe` that was part of the attack.
Looking forward to some more on this interesting visit to Lille.
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Post by htmb on Nov 21, 2015 19:10:20 GMT
I've been to Detrot once, but I've always wondered about the interest in the city shown by some anyport members. I can understand Louis' connection, and now I know about Mich watching the local news channel regularly, but I'm still a bit baffled that the topic of Detroit continues to come up. I find it quite interesting.
I drove from Atlanta to Detroit for a brief visit in the early 1980s. My husband was working there and needed a vehicle. On the way, I can remember driving in the rain late at night and seeing a high bridge with signs pointing to Canada, but it was so dark I wasn't able to see much of the city itself. Most of my time was spent in the suburbs somewhere. I know I was in Lake Orion a bit, and then Pontiac. It was October and when my husband returned about a month later he brought with him a large stuffed and mounted pheasant just like the one seen in your second photo, post #4. That thing hung in a room of our house for awhile, and I completely detested the damn thing.
Continuing to enjoy this report, Kerouac. I've forgotten the post number, but there's a lead photo of wonderful lights that I think is especially brilliant. (Looked it up: reply #13, first picture).
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2015 19:45:19 GMT
You will get a better view of that in the video.
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Post by htmb on Nov 21, 2015 20:03:59 GMT
Oh, I can't wait. I wonder what happened to our poor creature. It seemed to disappear one day, just like the two mounted bass.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2015 21:02:17 GMT
Okay, these did not look particularly Korean but there were 3 more floors to visit.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2015 21:07:03 GMT
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Post by htmb on Nov 21, 2015 21:22:51 GMT
Several in the last set are quite lovely and you did a nice job of capturing their light.
I'm not so sure what I think about the high school uniforms. Do you happen to know what the detailed French description says? It's blocked.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2015 21:28:10 GMT
I don't know what was on that sign, but this should tell you more than you ever wanted to know about it.
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Post by htmb on Nov 21, 2015 21:38:24 GMT
Interesting explanation. Thanks. You didn't want to summarize all that?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2015 5:23:08 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 22, 2015 5:30:56 GMT
All of the Korean exhibit is slightly disturbing in the best way art can be and terrifically interesting. I imagine the big lighted sections in #21 were exciting to experience. Goldfish + video screens = ooooooooooo!!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 22, 2015 5:51:58 GMT
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Post by bjd on Nov 22, 2015 7:12:59 GMT
As much fun as it might be to visit some of these exhibits now, I can't help thinking how quickly they will seem out of date.
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