Every year in May, over 200 of Paris’ artists in the Belleville area open up their studios to the public for a long week-end. The event is organised by the Ateliers d’artistes de Belleville (AAB) and is well worth a visit if you are in Paris or appreciate the French modern art scene.
The studios are within easy reach of metro stations and it is safe to wander around during the day. The AAB website provides a map of the artist’s studios , their addresses and it’s possible to browse their work ahead of your visit. It’s all in French, but if you know a few key words, you can get by.
Here are a few reasons to check it out:- You get to see a wide range of artists, their homes / work places in some cases.
- Explore a great Parisian neighbourhood.
- Meet the artist, discuss and buy their work if you are interested. Prices vary. Many of the small paintings I saw were around €150 and larger ones were as much as €2000.
- It’s great for young and old. Some people carried babies in slings. They came from different countries. It’s very popular and one of the most unique Parisian attractions that I have been to.
- Check out the view of the Eiffel Tower from Belleville Park whilst you’re in the area. Have a picnic. They have free wifi there too. Belleville is also famous for Edith Piaf and Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise is a few metro stops away if you are a Doors fan and want to visit Jim Morrison’s grave.
The One to Check Out
In 2011, the one to check out was La Forge de Belleville, a communal warehouse with a number of excellent artists. Located on Rue Ramponeau, there was large space with walls, on the way in, that were covered in cool graffiti and local kids and tourists were joining in too.
In the warehouse, some stand out performers were:
- Claire Chandret with some good for the home pieces
- Mili Presman with her urban surrealism
- Sophie Wedorezoff for her hanging installation.
Other notables
These are a few more that stood out:
- Daniel Fisher for paintings for your kitchen
- Eric Huynh – Black and white images of Paris with a coloured photo of a person on top.
- Leopold Mazzolent does cool things with doors and cupboards
- Marcus McAllister, an American poet with some well developed works.
- Mili Boom for your kids.
- Nathalie Bibougou for her haunting images
- Pierre Philippe – African inspired works. It was in a Ecole Maternelle with a range of works from school children.
- Sebastien Mehal
- Servane Cayeux’s prints
- Susan Pak Poys fish paintings
- The Collectif made fantastic use of plastic bottles.
Whilst you’re in Belleville, Rue Denoyez was full of buzz, with a number of cafes to chill out in.
Some artists display their works in cafes.
Many of the artists have a website with a sample of their work. They also hold exhibitions throughout the year, so it is worth contacting them if you are interested in their work.
Discover some new artists, enjoy the wonderful art scene at Paris’ Bellevlille AAB Art Festival. You will find the experience of visiting the open art studios an amazing addition to your trip to Paris.
Don't forget to buy a travelguide. I love the Eyewitness top ten because of the great photoes, they help you working out the best places to visit and they are around $10 on Amazon. I keep them as souveniers too.
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Very nice place, I've discovered it this August 2011, and there were some nice murales like "Face-block" and Amy Winehouse RIP.
ReplyDeleteAwesome urban street :)
Wen, Italy
Belleville is cool, I really enjoyed the vibe, some great graffiti and a very modern artistic Paris that is off the beaten tourist track.
ReplyDeleteYou feel like you are seeing the real city and people.
Glad you liked it Wen. That's great to know that Rue Denoyez has the Amy RIP. Will have to check it out next time I'm in Paris.
Italy and France - two of my favourite holiday destinations!