Musée Cantini x Matta

Today I had the opportunity to visit the final day of the Roberto Matta exhibit in the Musée Cantini, which is located on rue Grignan ... a very chic street in Marseille walking distance from my apartment.

Matta is a Chilean artist whose ideology is termed as 'surrealist automaton'. He is one of the biggest artists of the 20th century and I was happy to view this in the Musée Cantini, because it just reopened after extensive renovation work. The façade was restored, the interiors repainted, the air conditioning fixed.

I went with my three year old son and fortunately ... the museum is not too big ... the size of a three-story home of a very comfortable scale. It didn't tire him to walk through all three floors of paintings. To pique his interest ... I pointed out figures that looked like robots, and other figures that looked like skulls (an element he associates with pirates). Some paintings cover entire walls and they burst with color so it was easy to make a story out of them, for a child.

If your French is unto par and you want to know more about Matta or the Musée Cantini's renovation, you may view more here:



The video above is 7 minutes long. If you only have a minute of free time ... below is another video that features what Marseille residents think of the Matta exhibit. You'll also see some of the paintings here:

Play With Design

I'm preparing googoo&gaga's booth for Playtime Paris this July, so I revisited past photos and videos, to review what's been done, to move in new directions, and to be inspired by all creative talent that converge in this event.

I was not present in Playtime January 2013 ... as for the moment, we only have spring/summer products. Therefore I didn't see the first edition of PlayWith Design, an exhibit open to the general public where 10 designers are invited to innovate designs for children based on a certain theme, with parameters for the prototypes. Last January, the idea was to play with foam material and French firm Confort Mousse took part in these designs' execution, together with Griffine Enduction, another French firm that specializes in coated fabric. Here are the results:




I'm very much looking forward to this July's edition.

Now Available In Zurich

A team of boutiques in Zurich now carries I Love Koi swimwear. Here are just a couple of the styles they offer:

You'll find them here.

Virginie B Daily x googoo&gaga

Check out this latest piece on googoo&gaga by French mom blogger Virginie B Daily. You might even win something :)

Indigo Kingfisher by googoo&gaga

Les Baux de Provence

It was a sunny day so after visiting Carrières de Lumières we hiked up Les Baux de Provence, a hilltop medieval village with stunning views over Les Alpilles. I've been here dozens of times and don't mind dropping by yet again.

A fragrance boutique which does their sampling outdoors

Exterior wall detail on our preferred panoramic restaurant

A nude photo session was happening in this cube

Typical Provençal boutique

Do you notice how beautiful the light is? This is why dozens of artists have made this region their home.

Carrières de Lumières

This monumental limestone quarry which hosts extraordinary multimedia shows is located close to Saint Rémy de Provence ... so we went there after Sunday lunch to enjoy this year's showcase ... part of the Marseille Provence 2013 programme.

I've been here four times already, and each time am equally astounded. From March 8, 2013 to January 5, 2014 ... the Carrières de Lumières is projecting the work of Monet, Renoir and Chagall.

Limestone cliffs of Les Baux de Provence

The masters ... projected inside the walls of a limestone quarry.

This experience takes the phrase "It's like walking into a Monet" to a new level. I'll never tire of coming here. I was mesmerized. Imagine the effect on my three-year-old boy ... there is music on top of the lights so it was an overall sensory experience.

Back In Saint Rémy de Provence

Sunday was an open air art festival in Saint Rémy de Provence. We dropped by like we do each year. This year though, there were not too many participants. Fortunately there was a brocante going on the same day or else the event would have looked sparse.

The first year we attended, it was full ... really lots to see and choose from. I don't have photos of the artists' work as I don't think it was too ethical to start shooting away but here's a couple photos of Saint Rémy:

Typical Saint Rémois boutique for home accessories.

Colorful hand woven baskets are found all over Provence.

My lunch of sautéed pork and vegetables with rice in green chili.

Lunch was in a charming gem of a restaurant tucked into a little corner of Saint Rémy's historic center. The place is called La Cuisine des Anges and they also are a bed-and-breakfast called Le Sommeil des Fées. I wouldn't mind staying here. The food was excellent, the service friendly, and seems like the rooms are decorated in the classic style of the region.