Vingt Paris : Discovering Paris Design

Working as the contributing design editor for Vingt Paris magazine has given me the perfect excuse to get under the skin of the city in new ways. Recently I had two new articles go live. I originally got to check out Le Lieu de Design (above) during Paris Design Week. They not only have a new show on now, but it turns out they have tons of services to help small design businesses in Paris – don't miss it here. And now I'm a big fan of the latest shop to join my neighborhood – Le Rocketship (below). Most importantly, they have the best chai in the city, but it's also part boutique, featuring several local artists from neighborhood (including the prints below!), making it a great one-stop shop. Check out the full article here, with a list of all my favorite shops in the 9th arrondissement!

Boarding Pass – Sivan Askayo

As soon as I saw the work of photographer Sivan Askayo, I was completely mesmerized. I've always had a thing for photographing laundry, but she has an eye for capturing it in an entirely new light, in her series entitled Intimacy Under the Wires, which she first started in Tel Aviv. As a street photographer, now based in New York, Sivan's other major passion is photographing street art, which she's managed to capture around the world. All of her images are dynamic, colorful, and I can't keep my eyes off them, so I'm happy to feature Sivan in today's edition of Boarding Pass! Thanks, Sivan!
last trip taken:
Florence for six days last October and one day sneak peek in Venice.
Sunny afternoon in Florence.

Florence Breeze
Venice Afternoon

next trip on deck:
Hopefully Vietnam at the end of January to shoot the Tet Festival and the Lunar New Year. Didn't get my tickets yet, but planning to do so very soon.

Part of my Laundry project. Was shot in the Gothic area in Barcelona.

one place you would go back to again and again:
Barcelona and Paris. Sexy and Romantic. I can never have enough of these cities.

Buenos Aires, Argentina. I love the nonchalant walk.

place you'd most likely recommend a friend go visit:
Buenos Aires for sure! I was there last February for 9 days and I was very impressed by some of the neighborhoods. I've stayed in Palermo Soho, where all the great restaurants and designer stores were. I was a photographer guest for Graffiti Mundo, and I took a lot of Graffiti and Street Art shots, as the Graffiti scene there is very strong. And above all, the weather was great, the wine was good, the chocolate was superb and the people were very friendly.
Documenting Street Art in Buenos Aires, part of Graffiti Mundo Tour.

preferred method of transportation:
Walking. Best way to see the city and exploring new places. Especially when I carry my camera with me all the time.
Sunday in San Telmo, Buenos Aires

Florence

place you've never been but dying to go:
Oh, there are so many: Cuba, Brazil, Shanghai to name a few .
Tea Break at Saatchi Gallery, London.

place you'd never go back:
Probably Miami. I found it quite boring. 2 visits there were more than enough.
La Butte aux Cailles, Paris.

Romantic Hideout in Giardino di Boboli, Florence.

most memorable trip in 2 sentences or less:
Barcelona. I can still hear the rattling noise of the Tapas' small plates, mixed with people's laughs while walking on Mallorca Street in Gracia. Looking up just to see the Casa Milla and other beautiful buildings. I will do it again in a heartbeat.

Street Art, Brixton London.
Brixton, London

how do you prepare for a trip?
I'm not a big planner. Once I decide on a location, I first check the weather to make sure there are no monsoons, flooding, snowstorms whats so ever. Then I either get a Wallpapaer City Guide to take with me and read an article or two in one of the Travel magazines or blogs I follow. I also looking for locations where I can find Graffiti and Urban Art, and I usually contact Graffiti blogs/tours for that area. Then the rest is up in the air. I let things happen and reality to surprise me. It never fails.
Paris
Table for two, Paris

how do you record your travels when you're traveling?
Tons of photos, both with my camera and my iphone. I also write some notes to myself about places/restaurants/bars/shops I liked and would like to go back.
Nassau, the Bahamas. just 5 minutes before a rain storm.
Nassau, the Bahamas. This image always reminds me of the movie 'City of God'.

what is your favorite thing to photograph in a new place?
Since I follow a lot of Street Artists and interested in documenting Graffiti in different places, I am very happy when I find a great Graffiti wall or a nice Mural. I also work on an ongoing project called 'Intimacy under the Wires' where I shoot laundry. So when I come across a laundry hung outdoors and blowing in the wind then I must take this snap shot.
Laundry in Venice

on an average, how many pictures to you take on a trip?
Oh wow, probably hundreds, but also it depends how long is my trip. The first two days I always snap a lot, and then I slowly calm down and become more selective.
An entrance to a garage in Barcelona.

Venice

what's in your "designer travel kit" ?
Nikon D90, 2-3 lenses, 4 memory cards, my iphone and its great photography apps for my project 'My life in Polaroids' and I usually write my notes in the 'notes' section of the Wallpaper city guide.
Nassua, the Bahamas

what do you do after a trip? how long after a trip does this happen?
I usually download my images to my computer at the same day or a day after. But when I get home I start editing the images and then create albums on my facebook page, write a blog about it, and update my website if I get a REALLY good shot. It usually happens in the next few days after I'm back. Afterwards, I'm getting too busy and start working on other projects.
Window Shopping in Piccadilly, London.

favorite souvenir/thing to bring back?
Photography books, Graffiti and Urban Art books (don't mind its language) vintage postcards or a good pack of dark chocolate.

LINKS

• Portfolio: sivanaskayo.com
• Intimacy Under the Wires
• Urban Art
• My Life in Polaroids
• on facebook here and here
• on flickr

The Artist's rest, Soho, New York.

Boarding Pass is a weekly column exploring the creative ways people travel.

Hejorama's Around the World in Paris Tour

Riding a bicycle is not one of my fortés in life, but that did not stop me from being drawn into Hejorama's latest video project: a bicycle world trip in Paris. First, the video is all shot using Looxcie cams and Gopros, so it makes you feel like you're in the midst of the action. Next, they use really simple map overlays to help chart their route, so it contextualizes where they are as you watch them ride. The entire route takes them to and around the various ethnic areas of Paris, giving a different flavor to the city. Finally, like all Hejorama posts, there is a fantastic soundtrack that fits the post/video perfectly. Click HERE to watch the video – it's a fun ride!
{images via Hejorama}

Eat the Paint + Happy Thanksgiving!

As today is Thanksgiving in the US, it seemed only appropriate to post something festive and food related. A couple weeks ago at the American Friends of the Musée D'Orsay gala (see post here) I was introduced to Eat the Paint, an interactive an engaging party activity.

Artist/painter Mark Alsterlind was behind the evening's activity, and had prepped the edible palette and canvas and needed our help to bring it to life. (It's not often who see people dressed in their best black tie affair getting into chocolate paint).
Mark had outlined a scene of Paris. It came a bit like paint by numbers.
During the course of the evening, everything was filled in.
Once the masterpieces–all 5 of them–were complete [see top image], two layers of chocolate – white and milk – were added on top of the color to serve as a backing to the artwork.
Then it was cut into pieces, bagged and became the perfect parting gift for guests. Unfortunately, I was too busy helping out to get a shot of a bagged chocolate, but guests were thrilled and had so much fun finding the pieces they helped paint. The best part was there was no experience required. Click here for more on Eat the Paint!

H A P P Y T H A N K S G I V I N G !

Le Football

The theme of the week is shaping up to be "best of both worlds." A couple weeks ago I attended my first football (that would be soccer to you Americans) game. The match was USA vs. France, and despite what many may guess, I was still rooting for my home country. The US isn't known for their football time, the same way France is, so our French friends joked, "if the final score is 0-0 we'll consider it a win for the US." USA held their own, and France missed a lot of shots, but ultimately France took home the win, at 1-0. And when we were sandwiched in the crowds to get on the RER B back to Paris, my fellow Americans were kind of relieved that we didn't have to deal with bitter Frenchmen.
The walk up to the giant saucer, le Stade de France.
Spotting some cultural differences: Vikings and beret toting Frenchmen in line and beer "sans alcohol."
Yes, seriously! The only beer served at French the stadium is non-alcoholic. All Americans do at football games (particularly "Football Americain") is drink beer!
Like everywhere in the world, fans love their team. They also love doing the wave.

A Year in New York

In honor of yesterday's Paris vs NYC Boarding Pass, I thought it only appropriate to share this video, "A Year in New York" by Andrew Clancy. As someone who lives as an expat abroad, I love having new experiences and taking in the local culture. One of my favorite past times has come to be discussing – or laughing about – cultural differences of a coffee or bottle of wine, thinking about the mundane things we take for granted, no matter where we live. It's interesting to watch this video through the eyes of someone who has never been to New York, who is experiencing it for the first time.


{Thanks for the tip, Leslie!}

Boarding Pass – Paris vs. NYC

Paris vs. NYC is one of those projects that as soon as you see it, it catches your eye, and then you have that moment which makes you smile. Art director and graphic designer Vahram Muratyan is the guy behind the inspiring project that was a a creative outlet to document his love of both cities. He started the blog as a way to share his work, and before too long, he was selling prints in an online shop. This month French publisher 10-18 released the project's latest incarnation, Paris vs. NYC, the book (forthcoming by Penguin USA in January). I'm so happy to have Vahram on today's edition of Boarding Pass. Happy Travels!
{The Alhambra – having one of the most amazing place around, and turning my back to it, always checking maps. Image ©AV}

last trip taken:
Sevilla, Granada and small white villages in the heart of Andalucia — superb.

{Mumbai}

next trip on deck:
Cuba would be nice

{l'aéroport print}

one place you would go back to again and again:
New York City

{le metro print}

place you'd most likely recommend a friend go visit:
Buenos Aires, Argentina

{Hong Kong}

preferred method of transportation:
Bicycle

{Lisbon}

place you've never been but dying to go:
Anywhere in Japan.

{la réinvention}

place you'd never go back:
Even if I loved Rajasthan in India, I would never go back to Agra.

{Normandy}

most memorable trip in 2 sentences or less:
The feel of Southern Hemisphere Spring on my skin, in my nose, in my eyes when in Argentina, leaving behind a gray and chilly Paris.

{La Chaleur}

how do you prepare for a trip?
I usually read some facts in the plane! The rest is just the fun of being surprised or attracted or moved once there.

{NYC}

how do you record your travels when you're traveling?
Pictures, mini-videos, sketchbook.

{Mumbai}

what is your favorite thing to photograph in a new place?
The people.

{Zurich}

on an average, how many pictures to you take on a trip?
At least 200 per day.

{Istanbul}

what's in your "designer travel kit" ?
A moleskine sketchbook, an iphone (so many great photo apps) and my Canon with a wide-angle lens.

{la façade print}

what do you do after a trip? how long after a trip does this happen?
A private online album to start with, sometimes a book, usually in the month following the trip.

{l'apéro print}

favorite souvenir/thing to bring back?
A vintage poster in some antique shop — but I don't have enough walls now.


{Check out Vahram talk about his project en français on Dailymotion.}

Links:

• Paris vs NYC
• Online shop (prints for sale)
• Graphic design work: ViiZ.fr
• Twitter: @parisvsnyc

P.S. A shot I took outside Colette a few weeks ago at Vahram's first book signing. The book in the US will have a white cover, and will be released by Penguin US in January.

{All images courtesy Vahram Muratyan.}