FEAST OR FAMINE

American film-maker Wes Anderson’s exhibition – called “Accidentally Wes Anderson” – showcases all his films from the 1990s to his most recent works in Paris at the Cinematheque from 19 March to 27 July 2025. The films in the exhibition include  Bottle Rocket  (1996),  Rushmore  (1998),  The Royal Tenenbaums  (2001),  The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou  (2004),  The Darjeeling Limited  (2007),  Fantastic Mr. Fox  (2009),  Moonrise Kingdom  (2012), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014),  Isle of Dogs  (2018),  The French Dispatch  (2021), and  Asteroid City  (2023). My blog about the exhibition is  here . At the museum shop was a jigsaw puzzle representing Wes Anderson’s films. It was a quick, fun, and entertaining 1,000-piece puzzle. 

  The Beatles Guide to Love & Sex:  How the Fab Four Inspired a Cultural Revolution, 2 nd edition by Scott Robinson (2024) explores the songs of John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and Paul McCartney. Although Paul and John composed most songs, all four band members wrote love songs. The author, who has written six books on  The Beatles , states that more than half of the band’s 213 songs are love and romance songs.    The book is sectioned by years with sub-sections that explores the songs and romances during that period. The five sections are: 1957-1961: I Saw Her Standing There; 1962: With Love, From Me to You; 1966: And When I Woke, I Was Alone; 1969: All I Have to Do is Think of Her; and 1970: Christ, You Know It Ain’t Easy.   The interesting and compelling part of the books is that readers catch a glimpse of four lads from Liverpool growing up – from teenagers to teen idols – as they progress from first loves to first marriages to divorces ...

Located in Reims, France, Le Cirque is a landmark and cultural hub surrounded by a strip of green space. Known officially as the Cirque de Reims, the building is a rare example of a permanent 19 th  century circus structure.    Built in 1865, architect Emile Anselin designed Cirque de Reims in the tradition of permanent circus buildings in Europe. The circular, domed structure was primarily used to host circus performances, theatrical productions, and public gatherings. Its design combines elements of neoclassicism with a functional, open interior for large audiences.   The building was listed as a historic monument in 1980, ensuring its preservation as an architectural and cultural treasure. Its façade is adorned with arches, pilasters, and decorative details, while inside has a circular seating arrangement. It has undergone extensive renovations to preserve its historical integrity while updating it for modern use.  The building is situated on a strip of land ...

Step right up, ladies and gentlemen, and behold the marvel of Reims – a 17 th  century Venetian carousel on Rue Condorcet like a Baroque fairy tale.   This Venetian creation is an “opera in motion” complete with golden scrollwork, painted panels of mythical sea creatures, and horses that look like they’ve galloped straight out of a Botticelli painting.    The Venetian carousel has become something of a gem for Reims among its several other carousels around the city. But on Rue Condorcet, with its cobblestones and quaint cafés, it feels like the ideal home for this whimsical piece of history.  MARTINA NICOLLS MartinaNicollsWebsite    I    Rainy Day Healing    I    Martinasblogs    I    Publications    I    Facebook    I    Paris Website    I    Paris blogs    I   Animal Website    I   Flower Website   I   ...

It was the last day of two exhibitions at the Regional Contemporary Art Fund –  Fonds régional d’art contemporain  (FRAC) in Reims, France, on Sunday 12 January 2025. Both were launched on 11 October 2024. One was the exhibition “Takiwa Hou: Imagining New Spaces” in collaboration with Video Club New Zealand. The other was Milan-born Viola Leddi’s exhibition “Pupille.”     Viola Leddi explores the representation of the female body in Italian art, culture, and society, as well as in Western culture in general. She uses self-representation, diaries, and drawings of adolescent girls from the archives of her friends. The title “Pupille” refers to “doll” or “little girl” in reference to how others may perceive a female.    “Takiwa Hou: Imagining New Spaces” is a collection of videos by three indigenous Maori artists from New Zealand: Russ Flatt, Kahurangiariki Smith, and Suzanne Tamaki – exploring their own futures. They use a variety of techniques, such as ...