Patti Smith is a modern rock legend. However like many musicians, Smith’s creativity doesn’t begin and end with the strumming of a guitar–it travels to the tip of a poetic pen, lense of a inquisitive camera and table of a cluttered drafting board. Smith will always be known more for her music than anything else–she’s a member of the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame–nevertheless Paris’ Fondation Cartier has found enough merit in her diverse creative pursuits to dedicate an exhibit to her vast artistic conceptions. New York Habitat has dozens of accommodations in the 14th arrondissement, the same quarter as the modern-art gallery, with many still available for this spring/early summer.
Designed by–you guessed it–Jean Nouvel, the Fondation Cartier is one of those rare ultramodern buildings that melts seamlessly into the landscape of Haussmannian Paris. The Patti Smith exhibit, titled “Land 250″ for the name of one of Smith’s vintage Polaroid cameras, focuses as much on her personal pursuits–drawing, photography, poetry–as her professional life. Ms. Smith draws heavily on her own inspirations for the exhibit, presenting photos taken by Constantin Brancusi, reading poetry from Virginia Woolf, and displaying a rock from the river where Woolf committed suicide. Running until June 22nd, the Fondation Cartier is holding a “Nomadic Nights” series to run in conjunction with the Smith exhibit. Organized by Smith herself, the series allows visitors to peruse the exhibit while rocking out to a band or listening to an insightful discussion–all with the hope that the two aesthetic forms will productively illuminate each other. Act fast, tickets are being gobbled up and must be purchased in advance at the F.C. ticket booth or FNAC store. The Fondation Cartier is located at 261 boulevard Raspail, in the lovely 14th arrondissement of Paris. The closest metro stations are Raspail and Denfert Rochereau.
Tickets for the Patti Smith Nomadic Nights series are going fast and so are New York Habitat accommodations. This 1-bedroom rental accommodation in Alesia, Montparnasse-Porte de Versailles (PA-2851) is a quick stroll from the Denfert Rochereau metro station, Fondation Cartier, and the entrance to the Catacombs, Paris’ subterranean graveyard. For a bit more space, visitors should look into this bright 3-bedroom triplex apartment rental in Montparnasse-Porte de Versailles (PA-4175). The apartment has a modern decor and soaks in natural light all afternoon.
What other Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famers can claim extensive artistic portfolios worthy of a Paris exhibit?
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