The Night When No One Sleeps
 |
| Photo by Meredith Mullins |
This Saturday night (October 6, 2012) is a night to roam the streets ... from sunset to dawn ... with other night owls and art lovers. It's the Paris Nuit Blanche (or white night). The poetic phrase comes from the summer celebration in Russia, when the sun barely sets. It's light all night long. A reason to celebrate after the long, dark winter.
But here in Paris, the fun begins when darkness falls ... on a slightly cooler autumn evening. There are visual and performing art events all over the city. And, you're often allowed to enter places that are usually not open to the public, such as l'Assemblée nationale, le Palais d'Iéna, la Préfecture de police, l'Hôtel de Ville, and l'université Pierre et Marie Curie.
 |
| Photo by Jeanne MacInnes |
Since last year's Nuit Blanche was such a success (which meant sometimes waiting in line for two hours to see an exhibit or performance), the idea this year (the 11th Nuit Blanche) is to make the events more accessible. Many of the points of interest will be along the Seine (from d'Ivry sur Seine to Chaillot). The evening will also be featuring several places to get high (in meters) so that you can gain a new perspective on the action ... and Paris. (These exceptional belvederes include the terrasse on the 8th floor of the Cité de l'architecture, the terrasse on the 7th floor of BHV, the 9th floor of the Institut du Monde Arabe, the 15th floor of the Tour Morland, and the 24th floor of Jussieu (l'université Pierre et Marie Curie).
You can see everything from traditional exhibits, to one-night light installations, to musical performances, to spewed and twirled fire, to videos and films, to the ultimate installations ... the thousands of people wandering the streets together trying to stay up until sunrise.
 |
| Photo by Meredith Mullins |
So ... download the iPhone app or the map from the
paris.fr site and plan your
noctambule wanderings.
Or join WICE Photography Instructor Meredith Mullins for a photo walk that evening of some of the more interesting aerial views and installations (and learn something about night photography along the way).
Click here for more information. (And thank you to WICE member Jeanne MacInnes for the idea!)
Bonne Nuit!
Post by Meredith Mullins
