Sunday, June 03, 2018

Centre Pompidou

I didn't go inside on this visit, but I did hang out next to the Pompidou Center (Paris' contemporary art museum) for a little while waiting to meet my friends. Lunch time was winding down and people started filling up the streets again.

The museum's main entrance is at the bottom of this plaza. The zig-zagging tube contains the escalators that move people up and down between levels.

The south end of the museum and the Stravinsky Fountain.

I walked around a little to see if my friends were out from their lunch early. We had made plans to meet near the "lips" in the Igor Stravinsky Fountain. They were still finishing up, so I sat down at a café and had a glass of wine.

This is where I had a drink while waiting for my friends.

The Stravinsky Fountain, built in 1983, is modern and whimsical. If you look closely, you can see the back side of the "lips" in the lower center of the image.

11 comments:

  1. "Refinery" is the best word for a description of this atrocious monstrosity!

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  2. Such a familiar scene this was to me 30-40 years ago - my regular, little, gay-friendly hotel was just 5 mins walk away. I've no idea if it's still there and if so, whether they cater for the same clientele. They knew me well as for several successive years I stayed there three times annually - Easter weekend, Bastille Day celebs and, to cheer me up for the Winter, a long weekend in November.

    I should imagine that the plaza in front of the Centre gets filled later in the day, as it used to be, with traders selling their wares, speakers, street entertainers including acrobats and various 'circus acts'. I once had tarot cards read there by a young guy who couldn't speak English. He was hopelessly inaccurate - but I only did it because I found him attractive. Rather more successful in that place was having one of those cartoon-looking profiles drawn of myself, which managed to capture the visual essence, I think, of what I looked like then. I've still got it somewhere and if I only knew exactly where, I could post in on my blog. Must see if I can dig it out.

    And btw: The opinion of 'chm' above is not by any means uncommon, but I've always liked the look of the building - as well, of course, of the endlessly fascinating stuff they put on inside.

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  3. I love the fountain (and Niki de Saint Phalle). And the museum is just a "bit" larger than our Pompidiu here in Málaga!

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  4. I love the energy of the people who frequent the Pompidou Center.

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  5. The Pompidou had from the start nothing going for it in terms of aesthetics and time has not been kind to it. Roderick

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  6. Interesting how the colors are mislabeled! :)

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    1. That's the Stroop effect! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroop_effect

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  7. Lucky you: the fountain has water in it!
    I'm also a fan of Niki de Saint Phalle; not so much of the Pompidou, though we visit it when we're in Paris.

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  8. I know just enough French to worry about the mistakes in the first photo.

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  9. chm, tell us what you really think! lol ;)

    raybeard, fascinating! I did see an acrobat.

    mitch, it's really interesting when you see it in motion.

    roderick, to each his own!

    bettyann, I didn't notice that when I was there, but only after I looked at the photo.

    chris, I don't remember ever seeing it dry...

    michael, you probably also know enough psychology to know of the Stroop Effect!

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    1. Walt: We've only seen it with water once, and have never seen the fountains do their thing. It's all in the timing.

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Tell me what you think!