December 4, 2013 Last but not least at the Pompidou

We had previously seen some of Ernesto Neto’s sensuous installation works in photographs and so were thrilled to see an example of the real thing.  Neto is Brazil’s leading stage artist.  We stopped just here at the time, 2002, is designed to engage more senses than the eyes.  The biomorphic shapes made of fabric and suspended from the ceiling contain spices such as cloves, cumin and pepper.  I imagine that when the work was new, air currents passing by the hanging forms would release these scents.

A really intriguing piece, large enough to walk into, was *Y/Struc/Surf, 2010 by Theverymany™ (Marc Fornes, 1975).  Theverymany™, a New York design firm, uses a computer program to design and produce assemblages through computation.  It cast the most wonderful shadows and inside it was like looking up at stars.

The surface of Rudolph Stingel’s Untitled-(Plan B), 2007, drew me up close to examine the slightly raised texture of the work.  Composed of oils and enamel on linen, the surface constantly changed as I moved in front of it with light playing on it from different angles.  Photos of a huge and stunning installation of Stingel’s work will appear here when we get to Venice.

The Pompidou has a large and elegant restaurant on the fourth floor.  Most tables are out in the open in a very light and airy space but there were a few intriguing more private areas with shiny surfaces, metallic curves and deep color.

From the top of the Pompidou, the view looks out over the roofs and chimneys of Paris with the Eiffel tower in the distance.