In an action packed itineraire, our Year 12 artists took sampled a smorgasbord of the highlights of the French capital's artistic treasures including: Le Musée D'Orsay, Le Musée D'art Moderne, the Eiffel Tower, the Tuillerie Gardens, the FIAC international art festival at Le Grand Palais and even managed a stroll around the chic Latin Quarter and Pere Lachaise cemetery, final resting place of ancient and modern celebrities alike.
Two of the group, Zekai and Shanahan, took some time out from their studies to come to talk to AIB about their experiences in the City of Lights.
When asked what they enjoyed most about the trip the answers varied not so much detail but in scale. Zekai appreciated the wider viewpoint, "I got to know more about the situation of art these days." Indeed, there wouldn't be too many other places where you could have such a varied look at different types of art.
Shanahan, whose prolific talent can be viewed in many areas of the school, pinpointed, not a famous museum, but the FIAC modern art festival as his highlight. "You would have to travel a lot around the world to see such a mixture of art." he enthused. One piece in particular caught his attention, a common-or-garden shopping receipt enlarged to wall-size. "Although I didn't understand the French writing, the way it was presented was really fun! I learnt a lot."
We cannot underestimate the educational benefits of such trips and it's not just subject-related either. Independently dealing with different situations is just as, if not more, important. Shanahan exemplified this astutely with his next point; "[When allowed some time by themselves] we couldn't speak or understand the language, so we had to try to find different ways of communicating; gesturing, body language etc." He didn't say whether or not they were understood!
Paris, no doubt, left an indelible mark on our two artistic explorers, but again, in very different ways. An early morning ascent of the Eiffel Tower proved quite something for Zekai, "I will never forget the sunbeams coming through the clouds." he said.
For Shanahan, the special came through the mundane, a lunch at the Chartier restaurant, "They had old-fashioned luggage racks above the tables," he mused. "People put their motorbike helmets on them. I'd never seen a resaurant like that [before]."
It doesn't matter which way you look at it, through a sunbeam, a luggage rack or a giant receipt, art, as beauty, is in the eye of the beholder and the experience of it won't be leaving these boarders in a hurry. When asked if this trip had inspired them to go back to Paris, on their own, the answer was emphatic: "Yes, we'd go again!"
The Paris art trip hasn't been the only chance the boarders have had to head off to foreign climes. A couple of weeks previous to this a group of A-Level physicists travelled to CERN, in Switzerland, to visit the Large Hadron Collider.
Now, in matters of particle physics AIB is largely ignorant, so it was with some trepidation that enquieries were made into the highlight of the trip. It turned out however, that this involved somewhat larger particles (a physics student, a bicycle and a park bench) coming together at some speed (admitted lower than the particles in the collider). The identity of said student will remain hidden, for privacy's sake - though the pronounced limp gave it away for a while.
More amazing trips will be coming our way over the course of the year, not least of all the ski trip. More on that when it happens. Before we share some of the great pictures from our boarder's recent adentures, AIB would like to give an extra large thank you to all the teaching staff who give up their time to make these trips happen.
(Top and above) Terrence and Shanahan in the zone and in their own space while (below) Derek and co. admire some Damien Hirst at the FIAC festival
Zekai aks Mr Hughes why he would want to take a picture of his shoes (left).
(Right) everyone strikes a pose at Pere Lachaise
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