Emanuel Ehgartner
The sobriquet "city of love" is justified since you instantly fall in love with the city itself — at least that is what happened to me right on the first day. Even the public transport strikes could not change that. You just deal with it, as the Parisians do.
When I moved into the wonderful sculpture studio in the Cité in early May 2018, it did not take long until I felt at home. The first strolls through the Marais resulted in a heavy addiction to the fresh almond croissants of the bakery around the corner. Although the district is busy with tourists, it still has flair and one small specialty shop follows the other.
The Cité itself also makes it easy for you to enjoy your stay to the full: more than 300artists from all over the world and sometimes up to five open studios a day. Afterwards you simply settle down with your own supplies on the banks of the Seine that were recently closed to cars and now entirely belong to cyclists and pedestrians.
In summer it may occasionally get a bit arduous when temperatures are constantly above 35°C (for weeks!) and you can’t cool down anywhere. The Seine is not really inviting and the open-air pools are crammed.
But the city makes up for all that with her charms.
When I left the Cité at the end of August and returned for an exhibition one week later, I thought, “It feels like coming home!”
This probably sums up quite well how much attached to Paris I have become…
| 1. | My stay in one word: |
| UTOPIA | |
| 2. | Things I miss since I am no longer there: |
| The atmosphere of Paris; the good friends whom I was able to meet and who have almost become family to me; the – sometimes daily – open studios with always the same camembert and boxed wine; the small delicatessens in the Marais; carefree life where people do not make life harder for each other and where as a cyclist, you can/may do almost anything manageable ;-) | |
| 3. | Dos & Don'ts at this place: |
| There are numerous do’s, such as having an almond croissant at Petite Versailles right around the corner (every single day!) and going to the top of the Eiffel Tower, no matter whether this is what tourists do or not. And getting a bicycle: Paris has become a paradise for cycling! In contrast, there are hardly any don’ts. Perhaps, you shouldn’t do your laundry at 10:00 o’clock on Saturdays because everybody is trying to do that ;-) | |
| 4. | Where you can buy great supplies: |
| BHV Marais is close by but expensive (DIY in the basement, art supplies on the 2nd floor). Leroy Merlin near Centre Pompidou is huge and less expensive. There is a boesner shop that is not far away. And for spray paints, which I use a lot, you absolutely have to go to ALL CITY PARIS… | |
| 5. | What you should definitely bring with you from home: |
| Towels, a speaker for your laptop, tools (because there is zero equipment there ;-) | |
| 6. | On art at my residency place: |
| The Cité is situated directly in the Marais and is surrounded by uncountable galleries almost all of which can be reached on foot or, even faster, by bicycle. The collection of the Centre Pompidou is highly recommendable just like the Palais de Tokyo. | |
| 7. | Around the studio – this is where I go shopping, drink a coffee and get the best lunch specials within walking distance: |
| I usually went to Naturalia – they carry all-organic products. Otherwise, G20 and franprix are close by and important for getting beer at night ;-). On Thursdays and Sundays there is a great market at the Bastille – absolutely buy fresh fish there, it’s a real bargain! If you feel a pang of hunger, get a heavenly falafel sandwich from pitzman ;-) | |
| 8. | Where I like to spend the evening (dinner, drinks and best sound): |
| My favourite kind of evening was to buy beverages and cheese with baguette and simply go down to sit by the Seine – hardly an option in winter. Belleville is nice for going out as there is one bar after the other! | |
| 9. | What I would have liked to know about the studio already at the start of my residency: |
| I was so positively overwhelmed by everything that I don’t have any answer to this question! |
Website resident: emanuelehgartner.com