Australian invasion in Paris – Colours Australia: a chromatic journey

In the heart of Paris, the BHV-Marais department store is featuring Australia and Australian products in February 2022 as part of the Australia now France program. The Australian invasion – complete with an Australiian flag flying on top of the Observatory of the BHV-Marais store – is called Colours Australia: a chromatic journey (Couleurs Australie: un voyage chromatique).

From 29 January to 27 February 2022, the department store is featuring Australian nature (such as the wattle – the Australian national emblem), photographs of landscapes, a fashion exhibition, Australian goods, and Tourism Australia videos. There is also an exclusive tote bag designed for the occasion by Australian designer Martin Grant.

In addition, Leila Jeffreys’ artwork Nature Is Not A Place To Visit. It Is Home, a poetic tribute to Australian birds, is displayed on a giant screen.

A pop-up café (Le Café Fitzroy), on the ground floor of the BHV-Marais, invites the public to take a break on Australian time to discover Melbourne and Sydney’s iconic coffee culture.

Throughout February 2022, there is a series of workshops and meetings to accompany the Australia now France program and to present the gastronomy, literature, and culture of Australia.

MARTINA NICOLLS

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MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of: The Paris Residences of James Joyce (2020), Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

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