Avant-Garde Art in the 13th Arrondisement

Found this article on Gridskipper. Here's the text, and head to the article for a lot of links related to it...

You want to see the real contemporary art scene in Paris? You’ll have to schlep a little. Get off the metro at Chevaleret (line 6) and head for rue Louise Weiss, rue Duchefdelaville, and rue du Chevaleret. The galleries in this part of town will give you a taste for the up-and-coming young artists – some, but not all, from Paris. Opening hours can be a little erratic, so check before heading for the 13th arrondissiment.

The district is always under construction, and it’s seen the emergence of a succession of galleries in recent years. Originally set up as a community project, various organizations shared rent on premises that could be divided up, also sharing invitation lists and holding joint openings. There’s such a joint vernissage on Saturday, April 29, at 4 p.m.; the next one is June 8. Interesting gallery standouts include Kréo, devoted entirely to design; or Jousse Entreprise, which exhibits both 1950s furniture and contemporary art. It was in this area that Emmanuel Perrotin (now in the Marais with the old guard) originally took a gamble on the Japanese artist Takashi Murakami before he landed the Louis Vuitton bags. The best bets this coming weekend are probably Galerie Magda Daynz, showing Miss Van’s super-sexy graffiti; and Galerie Praz-Delavallade, showing Iranian-born and Switzerland-based video artist Shahryar Nashat. Miss Van’s after-show party is at La Suite – to get on the guest list, email aftershow@magda-gallery.com. Other recommended venues to visit include Air de Paris, Galerie GB Agency, Galerie Almine Rech, and Galerie Suzanne Tarasieve.

I'll see what I can do about going over and checking out some galleries, even though time is kind of turning into a premium since I'm down to my last month.