citylikeyou — Le Gaité Lyrique — Paris by Neil Atherton

This is another artistic centre that opened recently, this time housed in a former 19th century music hall that later became an indoor roller coaster attraction (yeah, really). The temporary exhibitions can be hit or miss, but I like hanging out in the free, open-to-all library on the first floor where you can sit in the futurist media pods and flip through the latest arts, culture, music, design and architecture magazines. Their shelves are also filled with a growing endowment of books which seem to be acquired according to the theme of the aforementioned exhibitions. Internet access is available on a dozen or so PCs (or via WiFi on your own machine) and for gamers, there are a few consoles connected to largish plasma screens. The café upstairs, with its classic baroque meets retro-futurist interior, is a sight to behold.

Website
gaite-lyrique.net

Address
Le Gaité Lyrique, Le Gaité Lyrique, Paris, France

Photographer

Current city: Paris

neilatherton.com

Neil Atherton is a Paris-based photographer and curator from the UK. He has called Paris home for over a decade and still speaks French with an English accent. His personal photography is based almost uniquely on the use of out-of-date film and explores the physical effects of time on memory. He has a large camera collection of ‘70s rangefinders and compacts from the ‘80s and organizes the biannual photography festival Mois de a Photo-OFF.

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