The Autumn Festival, Paris
The Autumn Festival: “A crossroad for avant-garde and forward-looking artistic creation.”
Address: 16 rue de Rivoli
75001 Paris, France
Phone: + 33 01 53 45 17 17
Begins: September 12, 2007
Ends: December 22, 2007
Hours: Hours vary
Tickets: Prices vary. You can book tickets by calling or logging onto the website.
WWW: www.festival-automne.com
Email: info@festival-automne.com
Paris’ Autumn Festival is a world renowned gathering of many ultramodern artists. It is a delightful taste of many scopes of art including: theatre, dance, cinema, music and visual arts. Artists and festival goers alike can enjoy many of the fine displays that the festival has to offer at different locations throughout Paris. There are conferences that are sprinkled throughout the exhibits so people can tune into more specific details about their favorite exhibition.
This event, which is in its 36th circuit this year, is designed to open up the eyes of event goers and people around the world through artists who are thought to be ahead of their time within their respected industries. Artists thoughtfully craft works which bring lookers and watchers into their forward thinking world while bringing them into contact with non-western cultures, the focus this year being on Middle Eastern creations. The Autumn Festival works hard to show the world new, commissioned and highly experimental works from these artists so don’t convey a restricted statement of mind but rather come equipped with an open mind and a willingness to travel the day away and visit as many of these fantastic exhibits as possible, the entire autumn long.
In Paris’ 1st arrondissement, the Louvre Museum’s galleries and auditorium is holding a plethora of wonderful events from music to visual arts. Some of the modern musical acts to perform are Anton Webern, Arnold Schoenberg, Mark Andrea and Frederic Pattar on November 9 and a concert featuring Bela Bartok, Salvatore Sciarrino, Jorg Widmann and Matthias Pintscher on November 16. Rounding out the Louvre’s musical involvement with the event is a tribute to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart by Jorg Widmann. Each of these musical events is 8.50 to 14 euros. From halls to walls, the galleries will feature artists Anselm Kiefer and Bill T. Jones’ “Walking the Line” exhibit from November 20 – November 24. This exhibits prices are 18 to 30 euros per person.
The 4th arrondissement holds many venues which capture the arts for the Autumn Festival. One such place is the Centre Pompidou. The Centre Pompidou is housing 10 events from the realms of theatre, dance and music. Most of the theatre performances are 10 – 14 euros and include Abbas Kiarostami’s “Looking at Tazieh,” Rabih Mroue’s performance, Walid Raad’s “I Feel a Great Desire to Meet the Masses Once Again” and Tim Etchells “That Night Follows Day.” The venue is holding four fantastic dance exhibits are Eszter Salamon’s “And Then,” Emmanuelle Huynh’s “Le Grand Dehors,” Raimund Hoghe’s “Bolero Variations” and Alain Buffard’s “(Not) a love song.” All of these events are 10 – 14 euros too. Two spectacular musical events at the Centre Pompidou are a concert which features Franco, Donatoni, Jerome Combier and Salvatore Sciarrino as well as an outstanding exhibition by Xavier le Roy titled “Le Sacre du Printemps.” These events, too, are 10 to 14 euros per person.
The Theatre de la Ville, which is also in the 4th arrondissement, boasts two wonderful performances – one by Mathilde Monnier’s dancers entitled “Tempo 76″ and the other by Merce Cunningham called “Crises/Eyespace/CRWDSPCR.” The Theatre de la Ville’s pricing for these two shows is between 13 and 26 euros.
The area near the Bastille, the 11th arrondissement, is also holding a good many events in several local venues. The Theatre de la Bastille is showing 4 exquisite theater performances (Lars Noren’s “La Veillee,” Jean-Luc Lagarce, Les Possedes and Rodolphe Dana’s “Derniers remords avant l’oublie,” Amir Reza Koohestani’s “Recent Experiences” and Tg Stan and Thomas Bernhard’s “Sauve qui peut”) along with one exclusive dance show by Meg Stuart/Damaged Goods and titled “Eira.” Pricing here is approximately 7 to 20 euros per person each show.
Also in this vicinity is the Paris National Opera house. The hall is boasting two performances by Racheed Al-Bougaily, Saed Haddad, Nouri Iskandar, Daniel Landau, Kiawasch SahebNassagh, and Nieuw Ensemble as well as a wonderful showing by Hiba Al Kawas, Shafi Badredding, Alireza Farhang, Samir Odeh-Tamimi, Rashidah Ibrahaim and New Ensemble. These unbelievable musical events are to be held in the amphitheatre; some of which are holding special meet and greets after the show so fans can meet the composers. Pricing for the Paris National Opera’s house Autumn Festival events are from 7 to 14 euros.
These are just a handful of the venues and the artists serving in this years exciting Autumn Festival. There are many other galleries, museums, theaters and venues that are housing the likes of visual arts, dance, theatre, music, cinema and other forms of art in their halls. To further look at different talents appearing at the Festival or at any of the other Festival locations please look on the Autumn Festival’s website, which is linked above.
Paris Metro Stations for Autumn Festival Events Listed
1st Arrondissement
Metro Line 1: Royal Palace, Louvre Museum, Tuileries Garden
4th Arrondissement
Metro Line 11: Rambuteau, Hotel de Ville, Chatelet
11th Arrondissement
Metro Line 5: Bastille, Breguet-Sabin
Paris Hotels for Autumn Festival
Located in the 1st arrondissement, the 3 star Hotel des Tuileries Paris is a charming dwelling featuring unique decor that fuses modern amenities with old world Parisian toile and prints. For 143 euros a night, you can stay at a place fit for a queen, literally! Marie Antoinette once stayed here with Louis XVI. It just does not get anymore Parisian a stay than that.
The Les Jardins de Paris Marais is located in the center of the 4th arrondissement. It has a very cozy and simplistic interior which makes it look and feel like home. Starting at 135 euros per night, this 3 star hotel is near the metro as well as other legendary attractions like the Bastille.
The Standard Design Hotel is more than meets the eye. It is not of standard design but rather features very chic and trendy room designs starting at 131 euros per night. This 3 star hotel is located in a quiet, historic neighbor very and is only mere feet from the front stoop of the Bastille. There are many other attractions which you can stroll too such as Notre Dame, Opera Bastille and other local bars, restaurants, theaters and shops.
Again, these are just a few of the locations in which Autumn Festival goers can stay at when they are not strolling through the exhibits. There are many other venues scattered throughout the city and many other places to stay, as this event is massive and takes over the entire city each fall. These arrondissements that we’ve featured, and the hotels and metros near them, are just some of the more popular places that Paris’ tourists often like to stay.
Paris, le Salon du Chocolat
Le Salon du Chocolat – “From bean to bar…”
Phone: +33 (1) 45 03 21 26
Email: contact@salonduchocolat.fr
Starts: October 19, 2007
Ends: October 22, 2007
Open: Daily 10 am – 7 pm, Evening hours on October 19 and 20 until 8pm
Prices: Adults, 12 euros; Children under 12, 6 euros; Children under 3 enter free
Tickets: www.fnac.com
WWW: www.salonduchoclat.fr
The Salon du Chocolat translates to The Living Room of Chocolate which boasts two halls filled to the brim with the world’s finest chocolates and most superlative chocolatiers along with entertainment for the whole family. Now who wouldn’t want to go taste and see?
The Chocolate Show is an international tour which is making its thirteenth stop in
Paris at the Paris Expo this year. World re-known chocolatiers and ice cream makers will be giving recipe demonstrations of their exclusive culinary skills as well as handing out indulgent taste testing samples to the masses. There are “cocoa show” lectures which take you on a journey from the beginning of chocolates time to where chocolate stands in our lives today. On the final day, the Chocolate Awards will hand out trophies and plaques to the most prestige chocolate makers in the world.
This sounds like your average expo right? Wrong! There is so much more to the Chocolate Show than your ordinary everyday exposition. It does not stop with all of the extraordinary learning and tingling taste buds but rather goes much deeper into the chocolate lovers’ imagination.
If you don’t believe us try out the Chocolate Fashion Show. Designers and chocolate makers alike will collaborate to bring fans approximately twenty fashionable looks made up of delectable and partially edible chocolate garments. The Chocolate Fashion Show also works to collect chocolates via the association Voi de l’Enfant which is sponsored by comedian Carole Bouqet. The association will then deliver the delicious goodies to children around the global for the upcoming holiday seasons.
There are also wonderful and tasty exhibitions that you never might have thought possible such as the “Beauty, Health and Pleasures of Chocolate” feature. The Salon du Chocolat will hold an up to the minute cocoa butter beauty show which speaks to onlookers on all the ways cocoa butter is a healthy cocoa bean derivative. Bernard Cassiere has teamed up with Chocolats Bovetti to bring the audience edible beauty treatments. Or find out more on Nat’Epils Company and their use of chocolate wax while performing hair removal techniques. Chocolate often gets a bad rap but the “Beauty, Health and Pleasures of Chocolate” exhibition will forever change spectators’ minds into seeing the nourishing and bountiful benefits that chocolate can bring to ones life.
Of course le Salon du Chocolat did not forget about the sweet-toothed kiddies. Chocoland, for children ages 4 to 10 is an entertaining decoration workshop. Children become bona fide chocolatiers with a chef’s hat and apron to match! From individual design to taste testing to devouring this one of a kind workshop will make your children chocolate lovers for a lifetime.
All in all the Living Room of Chocolate is for chocolate lovers of all ages and an experience you will cherish and enjoy, no matter who is in your company.
Paris Metro Stations for the Chocolate Show
The best metro to take will be line 12. Get off at the “Porte de Versailles” station. Once off of the metro, you will want to make your way to the Paris Expo. The event is located in Halls 5/2 & 5/3.
Paris Hotels for the Chocolate Show
There are plenty of magnificent hotels in the 18th district, where the Chocolate Show is located.
For a more budget stay, try the 2 star Hotel Comfort Inn Saint Pierre Paris. Starting at 69 euros a night, the inn is affordable yet very cozy and charming. It is also relatively near other landmarks like the stunning Notre Dame Cathedral as well as public gardens, shopping, disco, opera, museums and fantastic restaurants.
If you’d like a little more bang for your buck, 3 star Hotel Des Arts Paris is the place to book. The rooms are eclectic and some of which are filled with antiques and pictures against the back drop of beautiful stone interior walls. At a mere 90 euros per night you can get the pleasure and luxuries of a much higher priced hotel.
For 144 euros per day, you can party the night away at 3 star Citadines Appart’Hotel Montmarte Paris. This hotel has simplistic apartment like rooms which further enhance the sweeping views of its districts village atmosphere. After a day at the Chocolate Show, you can enjoy the nightlife at a large assortment of bars, restaurants and cabarets including the infamous Moulin Rouge.
If you enjoy nothing less than the best, book your stay at the 4 star Terrass Hotel starting at 231 euros per night. The hotel has wide spread views of the surrounding district from its casual cafe terrace. Inside of the beautiful stone facade the rooms are completely chic. The hotel takes pride in the relaxing atmosphere that they provide for all of their guests in this very modern yet unfussy hotel.