Make Art-Covid Art: Paris regains a taste for life

The Covid’Art was born following the declaration of the Covid-19 pandemic. It combines the passion for art, confinement and brings together active and creative people of all kinds.

Each work is an original creation proposed by a painter, an illustrator, a sculptor, a photographer, an animator, amateur or professional.

In April 2020, the first Covid-19 art museum opened on Instagram, a crossroads and showcase for creatives. There are works from all over the world. Created by the Creative Museum of Artists of Barcelona, ​​it becomes the creative memory of a unique moment in the history of humanity. A month after its creation, it had 800 works.

Other initiatives were launched on March 14 such as #tussenkunstenqurantaine created by 3 co-tenants living in Amsterdam. The Rijksmuseum follows them and then many other museums around the world.

Desiring to get involved during confinement, Anath Tordjman Compagnon decides to bring together artists around her. Lionel Szapiro, amateur editor and collector, prefaces a catalog bringing together works on “Covid Art”.

Canvases designed for “Make Art-Covid Art”

In the space of a year, between 2020 and 2021, Anath has been an unconditional support to creators by organizing various events.

For this occasion, the artists BEN, Richard Di Rosa known as Buddy and Mesnager have produced new works, respectively “You have to live”, “Flucuat nec Mergitur”, “Long live love”. Anath collected these canvases from their workshops.

On May 19, the day the terraces reopened, the “Make Covid Art” Arty Show project celebrated the return to life after this long confinement. “Welcome back!” for “Celebration of Champs Elysees Terraces Reopening at Arc de Triomphe with a shoot in front of the monument on May 22.

The project received the thanks of the President of the Republic and his wife. In his “Make Art Covid Art” approach, Anath brought together creators such as Di Rosa (Buddy), Ben, Jérôme Mesnager or Sylvano de Bergerac.

A shooting in front of the Arc de Triomphe

Paris and the Ile de France have been severely affected by the epidemic. The capital is still recovering from the horrors it has suffered. Its motto “Fluctuat nec Mergitur” (Beaten by the waters but does not sink) expresses its resilience whatever the situation.

On May 22, a shooting at the Arc de Triomphe, made it possible to mix the works of artists “Me, I am Paris”, with the Parisian spirit, blue, red white emanating from the Arc de Triomphe.

Madame France 2019, Miss Nationale 2020, Miss Montmartre 2021, her runner-up and the ambassador Montmartre 2021 surrounded Jérémy Bellet and the actress Sylvie Malys. Together, they illuminated one of the most visited monuments in the capital. This performance was also a tribute to the Bulgarian artist Christo, who died on May 31, 2020, at the age of 84.

“Life is beautiful”, “Art is everywhere”, such were the messages shared by the actress Sylvie Malys, dressed all in red before transforming into a cat-woman. The Miss wore outfits designed by Minerve Paris stylist Ekaterina Cherkasova. They wore the hats of the milliner Cécile Descombes.

After the shoot, guests, artists, models and photographers gathered to chat during the cocktail party celebrating the “return to life”.

A return to life and beautiful encounters

Present, Jeanne d’Hauteserre, mayor of the 8th arrondissement, was “happy to finally be able to find herself on a terrace for her first outing”. “People are happy to regain the freedom to live and meet on the terraces. They can rediscover the artistic and cultural places of the 8th arrondissement, which have been dormant for over a year”. “The new generation will have a fresh eye on emblematic places such as the Grand and the Petit Palais”.

Lionel Szapiro, spoke about the currency of Paris and its strength of resilience. The capital has suffered many disasters for over a year. Back to her roots, she flies over “bridges between art, fashion and movement”.

By using the motto “Fluctuat nec Mergitur”, Anath went “from the Nautes, a brotherhood of seafarers at the base of trade between Lutèce and the rest of the ancient world, to Internet users ..”. With the Covid, she found a new way to make art and to recover from all that we have suffered.

After what she went through, Paris will always be much stronger and “will remain a work of art that brings together life, love and art. It is” a love story with artists: When we love the art, art loves you! “, because Paris is above all the city of Parisians and all those who love the French capital.

Some artists and their works of “Make Arts-Covid Art”

Sylvano de Bergerac

• “La grimace sociale”, “Painter King” and Chloro Queen “are works by Sylvano de Bergerac. The artist works a lot on frames and previously on advertising media relating to luxury. It was for him a way of denounce capitalism.

Herve di Rosa

• Hervé Di Rosa attended the National School of Decorative Arts (but not graduated!). He began to sell his paintings in 1979, exhibiting in Paris, Amsterdam and New York. In 1981, Hervé Di Rosa co-founded the Free Figuration movement, so called by the artist Ben. His travels around the world give him a style of his own. We find this universe in all the creative techniques he uses (painting, sculpture, comic strip, tapestry, print, fresco, lacquer, embossed silver, ceramic, cartoon, digital images. Between 1978 and 2019, he also wrote more of 150 art books He is also the author or the subject of more than 150 art books and publications Designer of Modest Art, he founded in 2000, in Sète, the International Museum of Modest Arts (MIAM), where he exhibits many artists from around the world and creates exhibitions that question the boundaries of contemporary art.Hervé di Rosa works in creation and recreation.

Richard di rosa

• “Fluctuat nec Mergitur” by Richard di Rosa is a work that plays with the motto of Paris, in a humorous way. He brought out the life of the word motto. After the suffering, it is the return to life. The artist gives in creation and recreation. Younger brother of Hervé di Rosa, Richard di Rosa is passionate about models, comics, comics and rock music. It is in reference to Buddy Holly, that he derives his nickname, “Buddy”. Passionate about drums, in 1978 he founded the group “Les Démodés” with Ketty Brindel and Robert Combas. He also practices sculpture. In 1982, he exhibited for the first time at the Gillespie Laage Salomon gallery in Paris with his brother, Hervé Di Rosa. The brothers Di Rosa, Boisrond and Blanchard and Combas are considered to be the basis of the free figuration movement. In 2005, he created a sculpture to benefit the Operation Yellow Pieces chaired by Bernadette Chirac.

BEN

• “Art is everywhere”, “La vie est belle” are works by Ben, whose real name is Ben Vautier. In his works, he reflects the way of life during the period of the covid. From its origin, it shares several cultures. Based in Nice, he owns a shop that welcomes artists from the School of Nice, including César, Arman, Martial Raysse. In 1953, he created his first “writing”. From the end of the 60s, he declined his writings in various forms. Close to New Realism, his works are present in the largest private and public collections in the world (New York, Sydney, Antwerp, the National Museum of Modern Art in Paris or the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nice).

Victor Philip

• Victor Philip showed that every artist is back to life, “Back to life”. In his work, we discover on his Ac de Triomphe, both theater and comics but also other shows.

Why the Arc de Triomphe?

By choosing the Arc de Triomphe, we show that “art in Paris is a Triumph”. It is also the triumph of art over disease thanks to the ArtyShow “Make art, Covid Art”. For their part, the Miss wore the creations of Ekaterina Cherkasova with dynamism to celebrate the way of living and moving in Paris. Accompanied by the artists, they showed their works in a Blue, White, Red atmosphere in front of the monument, strongly represented.

Rooftop cocktail around the artists

This cocktail was the opportunity to meet the artists who were able to express themselves on their works. From di Rosa (Buddy) to Victor Philip via Sylvano de Bergerac or Laurent Foissac.

Among the guests, we could meet among others Gabrielle Lazure-ORLAN -Catherine Lachens-Laurent Dassault- Christine Goguet -Jean Christophe Cloetens-David-André Azoulay-Jean Eric De Saint Luc-Tex -Denis Florence Perin-Anne Lettree-Brigitte Mancel- Jean-François Petithomme- Marianne Christina- Thomas le Montmartrois-Patrick Maghic-Abigail Lopez-Cruz (Ms. France) -Marcy Skye-Rachida Khalil-Marc Scalia-Hervé Pouchol- Rachel Gross -Franck Ros-Christophe Courtois-Mourad Cheffai -Camara – Oliver Wudarski -Ngoc Trang Pham-Zaldy-Sebastien Zurcher-Christophe Cassard-Ngoc Trang Pham and the Princesses of Asia and many others.

Séverine de Possel-Deydier presented her new work, “Diary of a confined hussy”, published in limited editions. This private diary offers the reader the opportunity to enter into the author’s most secret confidences during confinement.

Nice surprise for the singer Nicoletta, who came with her husband Jean-Christophe Molinier. A beautiful cake to celebrate his 50 years of career and a drawing specially made by Victor Philip.

Discovering new flavors

On the tasting side, Eric Sgarroni presented his beers bearing the effigy of Professor Raoult and Andrei Orza delighted our taste buds with his Spanish ham. To cool off, the wine of Pierre Richard-Château Bel Evêque and the Tsarine champagne.

Exhibition at the DiVin gallery

After the shooting in front of the Arc de Triomphe and the rooftop cocktail, there is the exhibition. “Expo Celebrating Terraces Champs Elysées at Arc de Triomphe” organized by Anath Tordjman-Compagnon is held at Paris Divin Cave a vins, from 05/28 to 06/08.

Natalia Monastersky-Leston, artist and manager of Paris Divin, hosted the exhibition in her wine cellar, located rue du Faubourg St Honoré (75008) on May 27 for the opening. It was an opportunity for the guests to meet in this temple of Argentinian and French wines. The milliner Cécile Descombes has again brought her creations to the delight of the Misses and the guests.

New personalities have enlarged the guest list. We noticed the presence of the famous evening organizer Véro Véronique Koch, Grâce de Capitani, the artist Estéban de la Véga, Patrick Adler and even François Lassalle, organizer of the International Business Days Le Mans.

Marianne Christiana, wearing her Phrygian cap, made her statement. She paid tribute to the victims of violence, supporting the police and caregivers without forgetting the teachers, artists and restaurateurs affected by the ravages of the epidemic. Remember that this new Marianne was born in December 2020, during the first demonstration against the global security law, place du Châtelet.

She wanted by her presence to thank the author of the painting Marianne, on which she appears.

This event was a magnificent moment of sharing and conviviality for art and wine lovers, gathered for this initiative.

“Expo Celebrating Terraces Champs Elysées at Arc de Triomphe”

05/28 – 06/08

Gallery- Wine cellar “Paris Divin”

185 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris;

Telephone 01 45 63 42 19 (for an appointment)

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