A small exhibition, “L’Empreinte du Geste” (through April 3), at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, part of the annual Journées Européennes des Métiers d’Art (see “Events” below), celebrates the use of traditional crafts techniques by artists, with some impressive results. One of my favorites was “Anthropocene Cell,” a work by Romain Langlois and Éric Papon. It consists of a dead tree branch petrified through a process of calcification. A peek inside this humble leftover of nature reveals a surprise: its hollow interior is lined with luxurious polished bronze. Pascal Oudet also works with trees, creating delicate, lacy sculptures from thin slices of tree trunks, as does Bertrand Lacourt, who carves chunky chairs from whole trunks. Antoine Brodin makes hand-blown glass objects, which he glazes using a technique learned in Japan and gathers into sculptural installations. The public can met them and the other artists at a series of events associated with the show. Click here for more information. Free admission.
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