la Nuit Blanch

On saturday night 'La Nuit Blanche' took place all over Paris. It was a collection of art exhibitions, installations, films and performances that were all free, all night and all over the city.

We walked through the streets at midnight and followed a trail of pink balloons. These clusters of balloons, which hung above doors and down alleys, marked different pieces of art. As we wandered beneath trees hanging with clear plastic sculptures and past films emblazoned onto the walls of a church we were confused as to why there didn't seem to be the infrastructure for anything like this in England? Is there no funding because there's no market, or is it the other way round? After having this conversation we went into a marqee filled with sand where, on the far wall, the image of a polynesian beach, all palm trees and blue water, was projected. After leaving the installation Jenny was frustrated, and we admitted that none of the art we had seen had really impressed us that much. But, we wondered, if we and, it seemed, so many Parisians had enjoyed the walk and had at least tried to engage with the art, was that justification enough? In London there seem to be lots of festivals in celebration of a theme, but what would the reaction be to a vaguer, more diffuse, night of art?