Photo of the Week

Moonrise in Paris. Photo by Ron Fox.

Sunday, 05 May 2013 00:00

Paris Update Art Notes

THE MAKING OF BRASILIA

Construction of the Ministries Esplanade in Brasilia, 1958. Photo by Marcel Gautherot. Collection de l’Institut Moreira Salles, Brésil

The exhibition “Brasilia” at the Paris headquarters of the French Communist Party (PCF; 2, place du Colonel Fabien, 75010; through June 15) not only offers a chance to learn about the construction of Brazil’s capital in the 1950s but also to visit a monument left behind in Paris by the great architect Oscar Niemeyer, who designed the civic buildings in Brasilia and the PCF headquarters in Paris, the latter during his exile in the French capital between 1964 and ’85 during the military dictatorship in his country.

Construction of the Federal Senate building, 1958. Photo by Marcel Gautherot. Collection de l’Institut Moreira Salles, Brésil

The exhibition begins with handsome black-and-white photos by three photographers who documented the construction of the new capital in the center of Brazil, built in what must have been record time, between 1956 and ’60. We also see Lucio Costa’s sketches for the urban plan of Brasilia, based on the shape of an irregular cross; photos and a model of the city today; and a collection of commemorative objects and works of art, some of them rather kitschy.

The PCF headquarters, built between 1966 and ’71, and now classified as a historical monument, is easily recognized by the smooth white mound (which Niemeyer modeled on the belly of a pregnant woman) protruding from its lawn and the sensual curve of the mirrored building. Niemeyer, who died last year at the age of 104, designed all of its furnishings and the handsome precast concrete walls molded from many different types of wood, and even paid attention to such details as ensuring that the overhead lighting would not cast shadows or shed dust in the conference rooms. Heidi Ellison

Paris Update This Week's Events

For full details about an event, click on its name to visit the official Web site (in English when available).

Festival de l'Imaginaire

> Performances by troupes from around the world, Maison des Cultures du Monde, Paris, through June 29.

Festival Extensions

> Concerts, dance, films and more, various locations, Paris and Val de Marne, May 2-29.

Les Jeudis Jazz d'Orly

> Jazz concerts in the airport every Thursday evening, 5pm-7pm. Orly Airport, Terminal Ouest, through September.

Riverbank

> Photo contest for the best images of the Seine, judged by the public and a jury. Prizes include cameras and exhibitions of the winning images. Through May 12.

Salon d'Art Contemporain de Montrouge

> 58th annual festival of contemporary art featuring 80 up-and-coming artists, Montrouge, May 15-June 12.

Villette Sonique

> Festival of international indie and experimental music, La Villette, Paris, May 23-26.