标签 法国 下的文章
塞尚山，法国普罗旺斯艾克斯 (© travelview/iStock)
Cracking Art installation at Le Mans Cathedral in 2015, Le Mans, France © Michel GILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Cracking Art installation at Le Mans Cathedral in 2015, Le Mans, France © Michel GILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Installation art turns heads
If you ever encounter a giant, plastic snail in the city or an army of rainbow-colored meerkats holding sentry outside a historic building, it's likely an art installation from the Cracking Art collective. The group uses plastic to craft vivid representations of meerkats, elephants, snails, and other natural creatures for traveling art installations in unexpected locations. The collective's use of plastic is meant to call attention to the sometimes-blurry connection between natural and artificial reality, inviting viewers to reexamine the world around them. The meerkat exhibit on our homepage took place in 2015 at Le Mans Cathedral in Le Mans, France.
诺曼底入侵后的桑树港遗址，法国诺曼底Arromanches les Bains Remains of Mulberry Harbour from the D-Day invasion, Arromanches les Bains, Normandy, France (© Javier Gil/Alamy)
诺曼底入侵后的桑树港遗址，法国诺曼底Arromanches les Bains / Remains of Mulberry Harbour from the D-Day invasion, Arromanches les Bains, Normandy, France (© Javier Gil/Alamy)
Engineering an artificial harbor in Normandy
For the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the beginning of the end of WWII, we're focusing on the remains of the Mulberry Harbours—one of the most impressive military engineering feats of the war. Knowing that the ability to land huge numbers of men, vehicles, and supplies would be crucial to the Allies' success of the invasion of Normandy, Winston Churchill challenged his forces to come up with an artificial harbor that could be towed into place and operational within days of the initial landings.
Over 40,000 men were involved in the creation of two harbors that were installed at Omaha and Gold beaches beginning on June 9, 1944, and which were completed just six days later. The harbors included breakwaters comprised of sunken decommissioned ships, pre-built concrete caissons, 33 jetties, and over 10 miles of roadways. A violent storm on June 19th destroyed the harbor at Omaha beach, but Mulberry B, at Arromanches, survived and by the time it was abandoned six months later it had landed 2.5 million men, 500,000 vehicles, and 4 million tons of supplies into northern France.
Stravinsky Fountain in Paris, France © Alessandro Saffo/eStock Photo
Stravinsky Fountain in Paris, France © Alessandro Saffo/eStock Photo
A ‘circus of chaos’ for Stravinsky
The whimsical sculptures of Stravinsky Fountain in Paris are a bold, modern contrast to the Church of Saint-Merri, seen in the background of our photo today. The fountain—designed to inspire feelings of joy and playfulness—is a tribute to the groundbreaking symphonic composer and conductor Igor Stravinsky. Though he was born near St. Petersburg, Russia, Stravinsky wrote and debuted many of his career-making works while living in France in the early 20th century. It was this day in 1913 that Stravinsky’s ballet ‘The Rite of Spring’ debuted at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées.
The ballet, choreographed by iconic dancer Vaslav Nijinksy, was not well-received by traditionalists. Those who preferred classical ballet clashed with ‘bohemian’ members of the audience who openly embraced the modern performance. The fracas soon led to heckling of the performers and fights within the crowd. The ensuing ‘riot’ is something of a legend, with most historians agreeing that it wasn’t quite the spectacle that some accounts suggest. Still, it’s fun to imagine a ballet inspiring such a passionate reaction from the audience. Imagine if the ballet fans of early 20th-century Paris had social media…
圣米歇尔山 Mont Saint-Michel for its annual marathon (© Leroy Francis/Getty Images)
圣米歇尔山 Mont Saint-Michel for its annual marathon (© Leroy Francis/Getty Images)
Racing toward history
Considered by many to be one of the most beautiful marathons anywhere, the Marathon de la Baie du Mont Saint-Michel has attracted runners from around the globe to this UNESCO World Heritage Site. The point-to-point route for the marathon was designed so runners can see the finish line at the base of the Mont Saint-Michel Abbey from the starting line, on the western side of the bay, and points along the way. But you don't need to be a runner to enjoy this historic location. Every year more than two million people travel to the tidal island, making it one of the top tourist destinations in France.
戛纳，法国 Cannes, France, where the annual film festival begins today (© Manjik Photography/Alamy)
戛纳，法国 Cannes, France, where the annual film festival begins today (© Manjik Photography/Alamy)
Cannes, France, in the spotlight
The Cannes Film Festival is known for the glamour and luxury of its host city, which sparkles day and night. Celebs come to hang out on yachts and be seen on the red carpet at the Palais des Festivals convention center. But it's not all about the glitz—Cannes is considered one of the three most prestigious European film festivals, along with the Venice Film Festival and Berlin International Film Festival. This year, the French Directors’ Guild will honor horror legend John Carpenter ('Halloween,' 'Christine’) with the Golden Coach Award (Carrosse d’Or) for his body of work. New films will compete for the festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or.
