Street Art...the jury is still out

Ever since I arrived in Paris, I have seen advertisements for an art exhibit called "Né dans la rue" or "Born in the street". I was intrigued by the exhibit since Paris has so much graffiti I would think they wouldn't want to do anything to promote it, but this exhibit seems to embrace the act. On Tuesdays, the Foundation Cartier stays open until 10pm so I had a chance to get over there after work and check it out.

The Foundation Cartier is an absolutely beautiful building, very modern and full of glass and light. The exhibit was absolutely packed, mostly with young people since there is a discount on Tuesdays. At the museum, absolutely every square inch was covered in graffiti - the stairs, the ceilings, the bathrooms. It had a ton on information on not just Paris, but graffiti and its origins and individual styles in New York, Sao Paulo...
The big question is - is graffiti art that should be glamorized or is it a crime that needs to be punished? I obviously have no idea, sometimes I think it is pretty, sometimes I think it is ugly. However, it was really interesting to watch all the demonstration films of people spray painting the murals and running from the cops. The coolest display was a giant photography exhibit of metro cars that are covered in graffiti from different cities all over the world. Quite the interesting Tuesday evening.

Another Random Tid-Bit:
Yesterday I noticed a giant French flag underneath the Arc De Triomphe. I asked someone if it was a holiday/why was there a flag flying. I knew it couldn't be a holiday, because then I wouldn't have to be at work. He told me that August 25th was the Liberation of Paris during WWII and that the flag is actually on display as a demonstration of thanks to the Americans. I said, "thank you - for the information, and I guess also for the flag".

This week has been really fun back at the house with Jean Christophe's family. His wife is so outgoing and friendly and their kids are hysterical. Two boys at 19 and 16 and one girl at 13 - we have been having a lot of fun at night hanging out in the back yard, drinking wine, and trading french and english back and forth.