Diamanta Panford, NU in Paris, Fall 2014
One amazing perk of Paris is the ability to explore most museums for free with a student ID! This is also the case in many other European countries like Spain. I had not yet taken much advantage of this opportunity; but this week, I was able to visit Centre Pompidou. Centre Pompidou is Paris’ museum of contemporary and modern art. I walked past this building many times, but never entered.
The building is a contemporary art piece in itself. The building uses its water, air conditioning, and the electricity pipes as its main design – almost like a skeleton outside of its body. Parisians hated the building when it was first erected, claiming that it was one of the ugliest buildings in Paris. Nevertheless, the building catches the eye and curiosity of so many passers-by. I personally love the uniqueness of the building, and it was one of the reasons I was determined to visit.
Inside the museum there was both, a contemporary art floor and a modern art floor. On the contemporary art floor, the pieces consisted of paintings, photographs, video clips, 3D art, and more. Some of the artwork held my attention for minutes on end because they were so powerful, whereas some gained just a glance of confusion. The modern art floor stored mainly paintings like those of Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso. They were bright and vibrant, paintings I could see hanging in my apartment actually!
Visiting Centre Pompidou was the first time I visited a museum by myself, and I loved it! I could go at my own pace and take in the artwork as I pleased. It was a great experience, and I recommend it to all art enthusiasts! Here are a few of favorites pieces:
