Le Buzz: Beyond the French news

In the French news this week, art, espionage and gastronomy are in pride of place.

The 40th edition of the International Contemporary Art Fair (FIAC), which took place in Paris during October, was a resounding success.

Under the Grand Palais’ great glass roof and over a surface area of just under 9000m², the public admired 5000 works of art by 3000 artists hailing from 25 different countries.

France is a key player in the art market again

FIAC welcomed 184 galleries, including the prestigious Parisian galleries Kamel Mennour and Emmanuel Perrotin. The latter has exhibited, amongst others, the famous Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. A work by French conceptual artist Daniel Buren was also displayed on the stands at FIAC.

The galleries made some good sales again this year. Paris is a key player in the art market once more.

Taking place at the same time as the exhibition at the Grand Palais was the event ‘Hors les Murs’. Artists create art for all. FIAC’s ‘Hors de Murs’ aimed to shatter art’s elitist image and allow as many people as possible to see works by great artists.

Parisians as well as tourists passing through the French capital were therefore able to see sculptures by James Lee Byars and Jean Dubuffet in freely accessible heritage sites.

Who is your favourite French artist? Tweet @MaVieFrancaise #lebuzz.

The NSA spied on France: no surprise there

Thanks to Edward Snowden, computer analyst-turned-fugitive and former contractor for the USA’s National Security Agency, the newspaper Le Monde has had access to documents revealing the extent of surveillance work carried out by the NSA. Spying on allied countries, their leaders and ambassadors is nothing new: the French secret services were well aware of it. Paris’ anger following the revelations has been muted.

Everyone has been listening to everyone for a long time. Now we’re in the era of digital communication, we listen more than ever. Can we rebuke the United States for doing better than France when it comes to phone-tapping?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zBitQGl4Vo

However, the new element in this story is the sheer scale of the phone surveillance carried out on the population; the information-gathering and the unlimited storing of data.

Over 30 days, 70.3 million downloads of telephone data were gathered from the French people without their knowledge. That seems to be taking a swipe at the principles of democracy.

Will these revelations have major implications for the relationship between France and Europe and the United States? Not likely. Nevertheless, some European leaders are demanding codes of good practice. So, watch this space…

Tweet your thoughts @MaVieFrancaise #lebuzz.

French chef Arnaud Lallement crowned Chef of the Year

Recognition for the restaurant L’Assiette champenoise near Rheims. After two Michelin stars and five ‘toques’ from Gault et Millau, 39-year-old Arnaud Lallement has just received one of the greatest of accolades: Gault and Millau’s Chef of the Year. Gault and Millau’s managing director describes him as “a genius who cooks astonishingly”.

“I’m the happiest man in the world…you only have to look at the list of previous Chefs of the year,” Arnaud Lallement told Agence France Presse. Pierre Gagnaire and Michel Troisgros have also held the title.

Arnaud Lallement grew up with cooking and the restaurant business. His father opened L’Assiette champenoise in 1975 and Arnaud stepped up to the plate in 2002. Blue lobster, a dish developed by his father, is still on the menu. Lallement describes his cooking as “contemporary”, “understated” and “refined”.

Here then is a chef whose name will go down in history with the greatest French chefs. Arnaud Lallement: a name to remember.

What is your favourite French restaurant? Can you recommend an establishment? Tweet @MaVieFrancaise #lebuzz.