Three interesting exhibitions / events celebrating the 150th anniversary of French-Japanese relations this autumn, including giant projections on the Seine!


As the the lovely photo exhibition of Claire Xuan’s work continues at Bagatelle, three other notable events have been added to the 150th anniversary proceedings.

The most spectacular is probably the illumination of the bridges over the Seine which will be happening from Thursday 25th – Saturday 27th September 2008. The 25 bridsges (from the Île Saint-Louis to the Statue of Liberty near the Eiffel Tower) will be lit from a boat navigating the river with colours evoking the country of the rising sun. There will also be giant projections of iconic Japanese artworks along the route. It all starts at 9.15pm with a video projection, the bridges will be lit between 10.15pm and 0.30am, and don’t miss the giant dragon that will be projected onto the Conciergerie at 10.20pm and 0.15am. More info on the French site www.lumieredujapon.com.

Meanwhile, calmy, sedately, at the Jardin Albert Khan in Boulogne (where the India exhibition that we’ve told you about already is still going on. Don’t miss it!) there’s an exhibition of giant-size black & white photos of tulips, sunflowers, lilies and roses by Toshio Shimamura, called “Esprit des Fleurs”. Born in Kyoto in 1953, Shimamura uses a sole light source and long exposition, photographing the flowers on a black background (a Japanese tradition) which gives his photos a slightly frail, ghostly quality that really bring out the fine details. From 4th October to 2nd November 2008, the photos will be exposed in the wonderful Albert Khan gardens. To get more information about opening times, how to get there (the métro is just nearby) and learn more about the other exhibition “Infiniment Indes,” click here.

Kojiro Akagi, Opéra Garnier, huile sur toile, 87 x 130 cm, mars 1976 © Galerie de Paris

Finally, some new about an exhibition in two parts and by two people; Mathurin Méheut (1882-1958) a French painter who worked in Japan, and Kojiro Akagi (born in 1934) who was lived in Paris for the last 45 years. Their oil paintings and water colours are being displayed at the Town Hall of the 9th arrondissement, whereas their drawings are on show on the left Bank at the Maison de la Bretagne.

Méheut was a peer of Mucha, and became well know for his natural history drawings of vegetables and animals. After his first exhibition at the Musée des Art Décoratifs in 1913, he received a grant from… the Albert Khan Foundation (what a coincidence!), allowing him to go to Japan with his wife to work.

Akagi was born in 1934 in Okayama-shi, and arrived in France in 1963. Fascinated by the city’s architecture, he has also painted nudes and still life, often in white or red, his preferred colours. In 1971 he won the gold medal for water painting at the Salon des Artistes Français.

The exhibition is at the Mairie du 9ème arrondissement, 6, rue Drouot (métro Richelieu-Drouot, lines 8 & 9), from 24th September to 11th October 2008, and the Maison de la Bretagne, 8 rue de l’Arrivée (métro Montparnasse-Bienvenüe, lines 4,6,12 & 13) from 1st – 30th October 2008. There’s more information (in French) on the official site here.

And further information about all the various event happening around the 150th anniversary of French-Japanese relations can be found here.

Bigger map here