youngtom2910

I visited the museum for the first time. I am a huge Frank Gehry fan. I must say, that to me was more of a dud than most of his recent other work Perhaps it was because he chose to wrap the structure in "glass sails" rather than metal? Don't know.

the museum is in the Bois de Bologne, so we took a taxi-15 euros. You can take the metro to arc de triumphe and then catch a "navette."

we went on. Monday at midday, and there was no line.

I learned that the museum has no permanent collection displayed at the present time. the only works on display relate to the main show. This month it was Warhol/Basquiat. Not really my cup of tea. But i did investigate more recent information about their collaboration later in Warhol's life, which was interesting. Also, I discovered new information about Warhol's health and his death from the gall bladder procedure. Apparently his health had been quite compromised by a gunshot wound years earlier. Apparently Warhol kept Basquiat from his most destructive tendencies, but when Warhol died Basquiat's life went downhill.

So-bottom line-go here only if you are interested in the promoted show.

Jean

Glass v. metal... could be cost, but Disney Hall in L.A. had problems with sunlight reflecting off the metal, becoming unbearable for residents of a nearby condo complex. They described it as living like ants under a magnifying glass. Glass also made the interior much more appealing than the somewhat claustrophobic interior of Disney Hall. Personally, I liked the lighter look of the glass sails. I thought the lighter feel of the structure fit the site.

And glass gave the opportunity for French artist Daniel Buren, known for his colorful installations, to have fun with Gehry's design.

https://www.lvmh.com/news-documents/...louis-vuitton/

HappyTrvlr

Following our trip to Brittany we were heading into Paris and had bought tickets for the Warhol and Basquiat exhibit. Had to cancel trip due to needed surgery and was disappointed to miss that exhibit.

Michael

My impressin was that the building is there to celebrate Frank Gehry. Most of the above ground floors are dedicated to him. There was an interesting show of African art downstairs.

lavandula

My university has a Gehry building - it is modelled on the form of a scrunched-up brown paper bag with all of its curves and irregular jutting-out bricks. One of the engineers who built it was known to one of my students and he kept telling him "it's gonna leak! It's gonna leak!" Well, a few years on now, I don't think it leaks .... The classrooms are a bit weird but it's watertight ....

Lavandula

aliced

Actually I loved the glass sails and the views therefrom. We visited it about 7 years ago. Thinked we hopped on a bus from Etoile at Arc de T.

KTtravel

I love seeing Frank Gehry buildings and didn't know about this one. This one does look quite different from some of his others, but I would still like to visit someday. Thanks for posting!

indyhiker

We saw the Charlotte Perriand show there in February of 2020. Perhaps the best art exhibit I’ve ever been too. Just wonderfully done. We had a great lunch there, too, and then walked around the Bois de Boulogne. It was a really wonderful day.

MaineGG

I'm a Gehry fan too and was interested to see another of his buildings in Paris. The building housing the Cinémathèque Française in the Parc de Bercy, commissioned in 1991, is an example of his early work. Its design certainly more than hints at his more dramatic works to come.
https://www.architectmagazine.com/de...ter-in-paris_o

kerouac

The Cinémathèque building was built as the American Center for Students and Artists and was inaugurated by American First Lady Hillary Clinton. It quickly went bankrupt due to corruption and was empty for years. The former American Center was a brilliant place, an old building on Boulevard Raspail which was demolished and replaced by the Cartier Foundation (261 bd. Raspail), designed by Jean Nouvel. It was there from 1934 until 1986 and was one of the cultural hubs of Paris (albeit not always American culture). The demise of the American Center can be attributed to two factors -- it took too long to build the new place on rue de Bercy, and on top of that the Frank Gehry building was too flashy and unfriendly, whereas the old place on Boulevard Raspail was dilapidated and comfortable like an old sofa. You could wander in and out as you pleased while the Gehry building is as friendly as a hostile embassy. So the American Center lasted just two years at the new location -- from 1994 to 1996.

And so there is no longer an American Center although there have been a few attempt to usurp the name.