Paris prepares for white night of art and culture

Artists are putting the final touches to artworks that will take over Paris tonight for Nuit Blanche, an annual celebration of contemporary art and culture.

Courtesy Martin Creed and Hauser & Wirth, London.

For one night only, more than 100 temporary open-air installations and events will be scattered across the French capital, allowing visitors to enjoy art free of charge as they walk through the city into the early hours of the morning.

This year’s event has been curated by Chiara Parisi and Julie Pellegrin.

British artist Martin Creed will kick-start the 12th edition of Nuit Blanche by simultaneously ringing all the church bells along the Nuit Blanche route. Visitors can also join in the bell ringing by clicking on a special smartphone app for the event.

Meanwhile, hovering above the Seine river, performers in helicopters will perform a string quartet by German contemporary composer Karlheinz Stockhausen.

Later, Chinese artist Cai Guo Qiang, who was responsible for the fireworks display at the Beijing Olympics, will present another pyrotechnic spectacular along the Seine.

Japanese artist Fujiko Nakaya will be cloaking the Place de la République in her trademark fog sculptures, while Danish artist Palle Nielsen will transform the Place de la Bataille de Stalingrad into a monumental playground for children and the child-at-heart to play.

There will also be more events than ever along the Canal St-Martin in Paris’ east, an up-and-coming neighbourhood.

This year’s Nuit Blanche will be current mayor Bertrand Delanoë’s last. He began the first Nuit Blanche in 2001.