Daniela Zeilinger
Several months have already gone by since I returned from my stay in Paris. The memories remain a big, beautiful treasure. After the official residency period, I was able to extend my stay by another two months. Thus, I celebrated Christmas with people from Singapore, NYC, London, Riga and Vienna – a group of fine people who, in fact, hardly know each other. This ease of making acquaintances and friends with artists from all over the world is characteristic of life in the Cité.
But let’s go back to the start. I quickly and gladly got used to the fact that a simple walk to the bakery can already trigger elation – not only because my orders were taken better and better and finally even were accepted with a friendly smile, but mainly because it is simply nice to move through the streets. The atmosphere of the city is contagiously vivid. I also rediscovered my keenness to go to vernissages. With a glass of champagne or crémant, proper tribute is also paid to the arts in Paris.
The many “hellos” and “goodbyes” were challenging in the Cité. It is wonderful to get to know new, interesting people in this place time and again. However, it is also sad to say farewell again and again. Everybody spending more than one or two months in the Cité gets to know this emotional rhythm. What helps is to work hard. Eventually, I managed to that after it initially seemed to be difficult to strike a balance between the many opportunities: the city, numerous exhibitions, life in the Cité, work in the studio… The longer I was in Paris, the more I worked. I also wanted to benefit as much as possible from the program offered by the Cité, e.g. workshops or talks with curators, learning French… The professionalism demonstrated here is motivating. Even though the city is so revved up, there is also a high level of savoir-vivre, a serenity that feels good. I still miss the anarchism in traffic, especially when you ride a bicycle or walk. I left my bicycle in Paris, just in case. Who knows…
| 1. | My stay in one word: |
| merveilleux | |
| 2. | Dos & Don’ts in this place: |
| Dos: “Non!” means that you should try again. Don’ts: – |
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| 3. | Things I miss since I am no longer there: |
| The vibrancy of the city, its elegance and everyday esthetics. | |
| 4. | Where to shop great supplies: |
| Boesner, Leroy Merlin… Material for analog photography is more expensive in Paris, so it is better to bring it from home or to order it online. | |
| 5. | What you should definitely bring with you from home: |
| If you like to cook, you should take the most important utensils along. | |
| 6. | Concerning art at this destination and where I visited the best exhibitions: |
| You can always see a new exhibition every day, but the days around the big art fairs Art Basel Paris and Paris Photo were particularly intensive. The satellite exhibitions (e.g. Offscreen, Paris Internationale, Approche…) feed the desire for seeing art to the max. | |
| 7. | Around the studio – where I shop, drink my coffee and get the best lunch deal in walking distance: |
| Lunch at Bofinger, coffee at Caféothèque or Café Tabac, inexpensive shopping at the Bastille market on Thursdays and Sundays or otherwise at Bio c’Bon, Monoprix… | |
| 8. | Where I like to spend the evening (dinner, drinks, best sound and networking opportunity): |
| … Cité?! | |
| 9. | What would have been useful to know before coming here and starting my residency: |
| – |
Website resident: danielazeilinger.com