When I arrived, I felt there was a “buzz of expectancy” that usually reserved for pre-concerts, for great bands, or just before the start of great sporting final. There was a large crowd of people, waiting impatiently for the security guard to let them into this strange environment constructed in this large gallery space, that often embraces conceptual art. When finally allowed, in there was a rush, similar to shoppers on the first day of the sales. Music boomed out. I walked in with no inclination, of what I was about to see. There was a construction, of neon-lights, which makes pleasant viewing, but maybe it was more of a sweetener.

I noticed the control room, with an array of gadgetry, mixers and computer equipment. Lights seem to be prominent part of the show. I entered perhaps the most surprising feature of the exhibition, when men (I presume) wearing pseudo modern day military outfits, were engaged in some kind of battle, in an enclosed area of netting. There was a kind of set, slabs they could hide behind, while they tried to hit one another with pellets. It was quite unnerving.

I have never had the urge to play paintball, nor even play military computer games, accept destroying space ships and asteroids. From this live inter-active art, I walked into amore sedate area. There were trees, obviously synthetic in an area dominated by a glowing red ball. You could imagine you were walking in park or small woodland area, as dusk is falling. The booming music upstairs took me to a free bar, where a cocktail was being freely distributed. An Asiatic woman, flowing black hair with a patterned dress on was Djing, playing popular hit music, (think old Elton John). There seemed no connection, with what was going on below. I needed the refreshment, and was accommodated by this cocktail named “Gloss” , it went down well, as I was parched.

There was quite a young crowd of people, all beautifully attired, the artistic chic crowd. I went down below, back to Loris Greaud's “cellar door” We should note the French artist behind this creation, is under thirty, the ideas youthful and fresh fantasies. It is evidence of the Palais de Tokyo’s commitment to emerging artistic creation in France and to Loris Gréaud, who if nothing else is a risk taker, who thinks big with his work and ideas. The cynic might consider the budget, that enabled show to exist and given the scope the artist was given, many perhaps could have created an equally interesting environment.

At one point on one wall, letters were made in Parcel tape “we are alive” or some such slogan. Some things made sense, others less. One smaller environment looked like it was the habitat of some kind of sea monster. I even asked somebody if there was some kind of live animal. I liked the atmosphere of the vernisage, but I am not so convinced by the work I saw, maybe in all that space there was still a void. that could have been filled.

Francis H. Powell is originally from England and moved to Paris in 1999. In addition to being a writer (articles, songs and poems), he is a painter, DJ and English trainer. For more information, please click here to read his complete bio.

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