Another two-museum day, since I spend yesterday on the couch in such an allergy-medicine haze that following the plotline of “The Jersey Shore” took all of my attention.
The Palais du Tokyo is a contemporary arts space, which is called the “Tokyo Palace” in reference to some formerly nearby monument (I think). The museum itself doesn’t explain its name; in a similar fashion, it doesn’t offer too much guidance in understanding the works on display. There aren’t too many of these – the admission price works out to about €.50 per piece – but they are well chosen, thought provoking, and in general aesthetically pleasing. They’re big into programs for kids, with a whole room full of cute little tables and art supplies for budding conceptual artists, and roving activity stations – there were some cushions set up with a sign announcing story-time for 3 year olds next to a replica of the Unabomber’s cabin, but I wasn’t around for long enough to hear what sort of fairy tales those were.
The exhibition galleries didn’t seem to be the main point, though. Most of the visitors – early 20’s hipsters – were there for the three eating areas (full service café, self-service cafeteria, and coffee bar) or the two shops (bookstore and gift store featuring things like a doll dressed as Johnny Rotten), none of which require paying an entrance fee. Good to know, since you’re pretty much contractually required to go to this area of Paris to see the Champs-Elysees and the Eiffel Tower, but aside from these things, the neighborhood is dully residential.
Also – I was worried that the whole experience was going to be painfully hip, which is why I made my fellow student M.K. come with me, so I could hide behind someone cool (since I’ve had a few experiences on former trips to Paris of walking into chic places and having everyone who worked there avoid eye contact and just generally ooze around me until I gave up and, chastened, walked out). But it wasn’t like that at all – much more the “gee whiz, running/ attending an arts space is cool!” school of hip people.
