Les Frigos.

In an area slated for redevelopment on the Rive Gauche between the Seine and the Bibliotheque Nationale, Les Frigos is inconsistent with the modern structures that surround it. Originally a refrigerated warehouse with trains passing through, “Les Frigos” is the French word for refrigerators. With the closing of Les Halles Market in the 60s, the refrigerated warehouses including Les Frigos saw their demise. An artists’ squat, it was sited for demotion in the mid-80s. Quoting those who supported its demolition, “Vous etes le germes de vie du quartier futur,” it’s apparent that the graffiti covered structure provoked controversy. Nonetheless, artists formed a coalition to save Les Frigos and establish a community where they could both live and work. Its supporters view it as a modern example of integrating artists into a city in general and Paris in particular. Currently, artists of different disciplines are in residence at Les Frigos. It opens to the public one weekend each year in the spring. Special expositions are listed on its site, www.les-frigos.com, along with contact information for individual artists if you wish to schedule a “rendez-vous.” Les Frigos, really cool.

Les Frigos, 19 rue des Frigos [13e].
Metro: Bibliotheque F. Mitterand.
www.les-frigos.com

Metro Art: "Les Oiseaux."

In the heart of the Left Bank’s Latin Quarter, the Cluny-La Sorbonne metro stop illuminates. “Les Oiseaux,” a mosaic of two large birds surrounded by signatures of famous French intellectuals, artists, and scientists, dominates the ceiling and walls of the station. Created by French artist, Jean Bazaine, when the station was refurbished in 1988, it is definitely worth a trip. Bazaine, who is best known for his paintings, also completed a series of stained glass windows at the Saint Severin Church (Eglise Staint-Severin) nearby. Inspired by the seven sacraments, he titled the piece “Marriage from the Seven Sacraments.” While most of Paris’s metro stations have column free vaults and white beveled tiles that look uniform throughout, there are a few truly elegant ones. In Paris, it’s not necessary to go to the Louvre to appreciate art. A metro stop will do.

Metro Cluny-La Sorbonne (line 10). [5e].
Eglise Saint-Severin, 26 Rue Saint-Severin, Metro Cluny-La Sorbonne. [5e].
http://www.traveltowork.net/2009/05/top-10-metro-stations-in-paris/