Three gallery shows:

Many galleries have rented out their space this week as fashion showrooms, but a few have kept their doors open and merit a visit.

Galerie Xippas: Vera Lutter, This German born, NYC based artist shows eleven large, black + white photographs taken during the last 10 years using a pin hole camera. The works focuses on urban landscapes, industrial sites, and architecture-including old factories and skyscrappers. The images are kind of ethereal and ghostlike despite the subject matter not being super interesting.

Galerie Chantal Crousel: Fabrice Gygi- The Swiss artist presents, as the press release states, "works that can be related to three catagories: jewels, machines and signs." The exhibition consists of several sculptures, a few large, mainly steel or metal works that have a sort of violent,industrial (with slick production value), and fetishistic vibe.

Galerie Almine Rech: Another Swiss artist though now based in NYC, Ugo Rondonine presnts several large scale paintings that resemble the milkyway, dark, starry, luminecent, as well as two large, wood doors which have been covered in black wax or resin and upstairs is a cast wax, large hanging lightbulb. His work is frequently a melange of media and meanings, often referring to fantasy and desire. This show gives a feeling of Grimm fairytales or perhaps German romanticism in the 21st century.

MERCI

Merci could be seen as a anti-crisis endeavor. It may--read is-- a reflection of the new retailing times that seems to consist of unique, "curated" concept-esque stores that provide a new type of service and aesthetic. As we know, the big banks and big names are failing-leaving it to more individualized business to perhaps start the new market going. I am no economist, but Merci was certainly thriving with people throughout its huge, 1500 sq. meter space--formerly a wallpaper factory, on blvd. Beaumarchais in the 3rd.

Founded by Marie-France Cohen, the founder of children's luxe brand Bonpoint, Merci includes on the front end, a gorgeous flower shop and a warm cafe surrounded by books. The interior space is a 2-floor shopping fun house filled with things from a special line of artisan parfumer, Annick Goutal, designer vintage threads, a small fabric shop for the crafty-types, and small collections by mens, childrens and womens designers including Isabel Marant, Stella McCartney, APC, Paul Smith, Bonpoint, and others; a house and home section that stocks crystal chandeliers as well as colored glassware, a whole range of chairs, tables, etc. Here is the catch. Mde. Cohen, who made such a good deal on the sale of Bonpoint some years ago is not in the business now to make a new retail empire. Rather everything sold at Merci is given to charities that support impoverished children around the world. It functions as a non-profit. It is truly a feast for the eyes and wake-up call to shoppers who can feel perhaps less guilty about spending some money! Merci: 111, boulevard Beaumarchais 75003. 01.42.77.00.33

A few exhibitions...

If you are out and about in the Marais, a few recommended exhibitions to see:
Marcel Broodthaers-Sutton Lane Gallery, 6, rue de Braque: A beautiful, small exhibition that includes 8 plastic cast plaques dating between 1968-1970, from his "Industrial Poems" series, and a small sculpture titled Pools, form 1966. Provides a small glimpse into this diverse, interesting Belgian artist.

Tobias Rehberger "I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered."-Galerie Husssenot, 5bis, rue Haudriettes. If you like lighting design, you'll like this exhibition. Rehberger, a German artist whose work always crosses the divide between art-design-craft-and DIY, has hung about 40-50 light fixtures in this great, lofty space. Some are made from flat strips of plastic-in various colors and semi-translucent, some take colored Velcro looped around a long neon tube, and others are made from colorful strips of Velcro shaped into loose, twisting forms with a neon tube running through it.

Janaina Tschape-"Dragoons," Galerie Xippas. This exhibition by Brazilian/NYC based artist Janaina includes photographs and a new video taken from a recent residency in Arizona, as well as some drawings and a painting that have a very organic/oceanic quality about them. Tschape is better known as a photographer having started with performance, she often inserts herself in the photographs wearing a self-made costume that might include angel’s wings, latex bubbles or other Matthew Barney-esque accoutrement. The results are very fantasy/romantic/surreal...intriguing. You always have a sense of wanting to know more.

Shoes baby, shoes

So it's fall and the weather in Paris has been...typically Parisian although there appears to be sun for the moment today. In any event, fall means good clothes--or rather, looking good before the winter wardrobe of jeans, gray sweaters and boots takes over, so this weekend go to Estelle Yomeda and get a beautiful pair of shoes and make yourself happy. Estelle is the designer and the boutique has been open a bit over a year. Her shoes are striking, sexy to top it off, comfortable. They are handmade in Portugal and the heels are typically such that you can walk for more than 10 minutes without regret. Color is an essential part of the shoe, often with combinations such as black + gold or brown and turquoise-Her designs are truly unique and surely will be timeless treasures. These images are from the summer collection, and fall is just as nice.www.estelleyomeda.com
4, rue de Normandie-75003