M+ Finally but Cautiously Opens

M+ is designed by Herzog & de Meuron, at least HK$760M

A few days ago M+ finally opened on Friday, though with cautious fanfare.

First some impressive stats. The Museum of visual culture is designed like an upside down T, nearly twice the size of the Tate Modern with 17,000 square metres (183,000 sq ft) of space in which to display 1,500 works from its 6,413 pieces. M+ cost at least HK$760 million to build, and several years behind schedule, which resulted in bad timing.

Before M+ opened its doors, the national security law was implemented, coupled with numerous pro-democracy activists thrown in jail, a liberal newspaper shut down, and the city's electoral system completely revamped so that only "patriots" can run. As a result the contemporary art museum is treading on dangerous territory.

Tang said the art must comply with the law

Art is supposed to be an extension of freedom of expression... is it not?

"We will uphold and encourage the freedom of artistic expression and creativity. But on the other hand, our dedicated curatorial team will ensure the exhibitions comply with the law, including the Basic Law, the national security law, and all other laws in Hong Kong. The opening of M+ does not mean artistic expression is above the law. It is not," said West Kowloon Cultural District chairman Henry Tang Ying-yen.

So yes, by all means be expressive with art -- as long as it complies with the law.

Passive aggressive with legal characteristics.

Ai's Whitewash is displayed prominently

In March, pro-Beijing lawmaker Eunice Yung Hoi-yan tried to score patriotic brownie points by accusing the M+ collection of spreading "hatred" against China, using the example of Ai Weiwei's photograph of him raising his middle finger at Tiananmen Square.

However, did she realize that Ai also has a series of photographs called Studies of Perspectives, pointing his middle finger at other government buildings and famous landmarks around the world too, including the Eiffel Tower, Hong Kong island, St Mark's Square, the Sydney Opera House, and the White House?

Nevertheless, M+ removed Ai's photograph from its online archive, citing a legal review, though his other work called Whitewash (1995-2000) is on show, featuring 126 ancient jars neatly arranged some painted in white, as if to whitewash history.

Wang's painting refers to Tiananmen Square

And then there is a reference to June 4, 1989 with Wang Xinwei's New Beijing. It's a painting of a photograph reminiscent of a man pushing his bicycle with a makeshift board that should be carrying two bloodied people but instead there is a pair of penguins wounded in the chest.

It's also interesting it has featured the works of local artist Kacey Wong, including photographs and sculpture, including his floating apartment idea as a way to tackle Hong Kong's housing crisis. Wong recently went into self-imposed exile to Taiwan, worried about continuing to live in Hong Kong. He wrote on Twitter how cool it was to be able to see his work in the museum through smartphone technology.

Wong's floating home is on show at M+

Many people I know have already had a preview of M+, posting pictures all over social media so I feel like I've already seen half the museum already. But of course it's not the same as being there and interacting with the art in person which I hope to do soon.

But the hopes that M+ was going to display art that couldn't be in China are dashed. Going forward it's going to be a perilous journey for the museum when it comes to art and politics,
whether it likes it or not.

The Macanese Version of Paris

The ceiling of The Parisien with copy and paste angels for an ethereal look

In Macau we stayed at The Parisian, a relatively new hotel on the Cotai Strip that literally has a replica of the Eiffel Tower in front.

The fountain lights up in gaudy colours to classical music

Inside the hotel tries really hard to be old school European, but instead looks very nouveau riche. In the foyer there is a giant fountain that periodically lights up in gaudy colours to classical music. Above the fountain is a crazy dome ceiling covered in paintings of angels and figures that are randomly copied and pasted onto the dome and make no sense at all, but look somewhat heavenly.

Not.

The long corridors have more ethereal paintings on the long, narrow ceiling with massive crystal chandeliers suspended complete with Corinthian columns and marble floors to make guests feel like they're in the Palace of Versailles or some kind of rich chateau.

Very posh-looking corridor that goes forever

We just dreaded the long walks to get from point A to point B.

As we were staying in the hotel we were able to go up to the seventh floor observation deck for free. But before we were able to get there, we had to sit down for a picture with a green backdrop and got a photo slip for it.

Later when we arrived at the Eiffel Tower gift shop, there was a picture of us in a cardboard frame along with us in a snowglobe -- for over HK$200.

Uh, no thanks. And I hope you recycle that snowglobe...

The tower itself is hardly worth oohing and aahing over -- it's not that tall, though it has a nice fuchsia colour when it's lit up.

Meanwhile the long walkway to get to the tower has a railing that's covered in locks to imitate the Pont des Arts in Paris, where lovers will declare their love for each other by putting a lock on the bridge with their initials.

A very funky Eiffel Tower at night

If you didn't bring a lock, don't worry -- the gift shop kiosk nearby sells lock kits for HK$60, and the guy manning the booth even offers to help customers open the kit with scissors once they have bought it.

Thousands of others have declared their love at The Parisian -- why not you too?

No More "Weird" Architecture

Does the CCTV headquarters qualify as "weird" architecture in China?

More directives are being issued by Beijing these days and the latest one was an interesting edict -- no more "weird" architecture, gated communities or illegal structures are to be built in China.

The directive from the State Council came two months after leaders met for the Central Urban Work Conference -- which was left held in 1978! One wonders why they procrastinated this long.

One of many "White House" replicas in the mainland...

Forty-eight years ago only 18 percent of the population lived in towns and cities, compared to 55 percent as of last year at 750 million people.

Nevertheless, the directive says urban architecture should be "suitable, economic, green and pleasing to the eye", in contrast to the "oversized, xenocentric, weird" buildings with no character or cultural heritage, that Chinese President Xi Jinping said reflected "a lack of cultural confidence and some city officials' distorted attitudes about political achievements".

One big building that might fit the bill is the CCTV tower, the Rem Koolhaas-designed building that locals nickname da kouchar (大裤衩) or "big underpants". Others are replicas of famous landmarks like the White House, Eiffel Tower, and London Bridge.

... Oh and Eiffel Towers can be spotted in around China too

Liu Shilin, head of the Institute of Urban Science at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said while "weird" has yet to be defined, the new policy was heading in the right direction.

"These buildings do not have much value in terms of use, and cost a lot to operate and maintain. Quite a few were torn down soon after completion," he notes.

However, the big concern is the opening up of gated communities that were built for expatriates and the wealthy to keep the riff raff out.

"Residents have all paid their share to use the roads in these communities. How can you open them up just like that? Opening them up will bring in noise pollution, air pollution and security risks. How can residents' safety and health be ensured?" said one online commenter.

Residents of gated communities are worried about opening up

By the way -- does Zhongnanhai also qualify as a "gated community"? Or perhaps it's in a category of its own...

French Factoids, Touring Paris and Centre Pompidou

The Eiffel Tower is one of the most visited landmarks

This morning we had a city tour given by a local guide and he gave us a lot of interesting factoids. Here's a random selection:

The population of Paris is 2.2 million.

Les Invalides where Napoleon's body is laid to rest

Notre Dame is 852 years old.

There has been no skyscrapers since 1977 after the one at Montparnasse was built in 1973 at 59 floors.

The French pay 75 percent in taxes in gasoline.

There are five weeks of paid vacation each year.

A pack of cigarettes costs 10 euros.

Napoleon crowned himself emperor

Every year France receives 83 million visitors, 15 million of which go to Euro Disney.

To rent an 800 square-foot flat it costs around 2,300 euros a month, but the average wage is 1,600 euros.

We made a quick stop at The Invalides, Napoleon's final resting place. Twelve kilograms of gold leaf was used to reguild the dome on top of the Invalides and the place was originally a home for soldiers.

Napoleon's body is placed in seven coffins, and his actual height was 5 feet 6 inches, so he wasn't that short. He was originally from Corsica, half French, half Italian. He grew up speaking Italian and didn't learn French until he was older.

He worked hard, some 15 hours a day and graduated from the Military College that was passed by. There are still some bullet holes from World War II on the façade of the college that can easily be seen.

The interesting "inside outside" design of Centre Pompidou

Another point of interest we saw was the Eiffel Tower. It was built in 1889 by Gustav Eiffel for the World's Exposition and was meant to be a temporary building to be taken down in 20 years. Many protested it, but at the last minute the structure was saved, mostly because it had military uses in sending wireless messages from the top.

It took 26 months to build the tower and it has four elevators, one in each leg. They now have double-decker elevators, each carrying 50 people at a time. The second floor of the tower is Jules Verne Restaurant, which was taken over by Alain Ducasse about a year ago. No food is actually "cooked" on the tower – it is brought up there – not even candles can be placed on a birthday cake.

Le Corbusier looked at things in terms of geometry

Eiffel was a well known civil engineer at the time and also assisted in the infrastructure of the State of Liberty that was a gift from the French to the Americans.

There's a giant gold "eternal flame" that was a gift from the Herald Tribune in 1987, but it happens to be by the tunnel where Princess Diana was killed in the tragic car accident with Dodi el Fayed. As a result the "eternal flame" has become a shrine where people still pay their respects to the late princess.

Two of Le Corbusier's chair designs that are still around today

Another must-see sight is the Arc de Triomphe, built by Napoleon to celebrate his victories. Thirty-three generals and marshals are remembered here, including Victor Hugo's father.

The arch is where the tomb of the unknown soldier is located, and the eternal flame there has been going non-stop for 94 years – even during World War II. Every night at 6.30pm there is a ceremony to remember the war dead.

This is also the place where the Tour de France ends.

Le Corbusier's concept of man and his various measurements

Our tour ended at Place de la Concorde, where we saw the obelisk that was originally from Luxor. It took five years and a specially made boat to carry it from Egypt to France. The obelisk is now 3,300 years old.

After lunch we went to Centre Pompidou near Chatelet Les Halles metro station. It's a curious building – the various pipes are on the outside, kind of turning the building inside out, as a way to save more space inside.

This photo of him ended the exhibition!

Designed by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, the building is not only a exhibition space but also a community one too. The pipes are colour coded – blue for air conditioning, green for water circulation, red for transporting people in elevators and escalators, and yellow for electricity.

For 3 euros we were able to go to the top of the centre and have a good overview of Paris. We could see the Eiffel Tower in the distance as well as Sacre Coeur.

Inside we took a quick look at one of the current exhibitions, Le Corbusier: Mesures de L'Homme or Measures of Man.  

It was similar to the show we saw in New York over a year ago, celebrating the architect's innovative designs that focus on minimalism and functionality. Here it was more about the human body and how it fits in relation to architecture and furniture.

The stained glass dome at Galeries Lafayette

In 1943 he began thinking about the Modulor, a system of measurement based on the size of the average man, 183cm or 226cm when his arm was raised. However it wasn't just about numbers, Le Corbusier would make line drawings of human figures that were stamped onto drafts or painted or carved on walls of buildings.

The exhibition also showcases his paintings, sculptures, furniture designs and of course architectural drawings, including one of Notre Dame du Haut Chapel in Ronchamp, and of course Chandigarh, the capital of Punjab state, commissioned by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

Afterwards we made our way to Galeries Lafayette where we saw lots of mainland Chinese tourists shopping up a storm or taking a break by sitting on the floor with their bags of purchases. We focused more on appreciating the stained glass domed ceiling than the luxury merchandise on the sale.

Printemps celebrating 150 years with flowers

Across the street Printemps is celebrating its 150^th anniversary and trying to drum up business with collaborations with various brands, such as a special Printemps pink macaron from Laduree…

Cruising Along the Seine

On the boat cruise along the Seine River around Paris

Last night we finished dinner around 8.30pm and had a fun dessert -- gelato scoops fashioned into rose petals on a cone! I had to eat mine quickly because it was melting so fast!

Looking back at the Musee d'Orsay at sunset

Then my cousin suggested we take a river cruise along the Seine River that starts at the Eiffel Tower. The two of us made it there just in time to catch the 10pm sailing for 14 euros.

The sun was starting to set at that time so it was wonderful to see the sky change colour, creating a dramatic backdrop for the Paris landmarks. However it was hard to take pictures from where we were sitting as we were the last few to board the boat.

Notre Dame against the backdrop of the sky changing colours

Nevertheless, the one-hour cruise had recordings in English, French and Spanish, that pointed out the various sites from the water -- Musee d'Orsay, Legion of d'Honneur, Notre Dame, and the various bridges we went under.

Along the way we saw people hanging out by the Seine, either as couples or a group, drinking and dancing. How lively even for a Sunday evening!

By the time we returned back to the Eiffel Tower it was almost 11pm, when the tower would light up in a glittering display -- lights flashing on and off frenetically for five minutes.

It was a good show and us and lots of other people went back to the metro station to go home and have a 6.30am wake up call!

The Eiffel Tower in a glittering sight

A Rough Start in Paris

The packed train from the airport to town around noon

We arrived in Paris this morning only to find taxis blocked roads to Paris and Marseille airports.

Looking up at L'Arc de Triomphe

Airport staff were sympathetic, but could only help us with directions. The only way out was by train. With luggage in hand we had to go up and down, down a long hallway and then down some escalators to see tons of people waiting in line just to buy train tickets to town from ticket machines -- no one manned tickets sales desks.

It took us almost an hour to get to where the ticket booths were, and then almost another hour just to get the 10-euro tickets. We managed to climb aboard the train which left shortly after we got on.

Then we had to change trains twice just to get to our hotel.

When we finally arrived, the hotel staff strangely weren't that helpful with our luggage, shrugging their shoulders with hardly any sympathy -- is this a French thing?

To further rub it in, they said that what took us four hours to get there should have only taken 45 minutes by taxi...

It's 8.30pm and still bright at the Eiffel Tower

The taxi drivers are on strike because they are angry at online taxi service Uber for taking away their business.

Some incidents got really violent, with smashed windows, overturned cars and burned tires. Even rocker Courtney Love was caught in the unrest in her car leaving the airport. She tweeted that she was terrified, her car was ambushed and the driver taken hostage. Needless to say she was not impressed with French authorities in dealing with the situation...

So far it's a one-day strike, but who knows if it will last longer...

In any event, we finally settled into our hotel and freshened up. We grabbed a bit to eat before heading to L'Arc de Triomphe, followed by a stroll down Champs Elysees, took some pictures of the Tuileries, then had dinner before going to the Eiffel Tower.

Looking straight up the Eiffel Tower

I had good fun two years ago paying 5 euros to walk up the Eiffel Tower (the line for the elevator was too long). The stairs weren't that bad and had a fantastic view of the city. This time though, with parents in tow, we took a few snaps before heading home to rest our feet and get over our jetlag.