Quick, what do you think of when we say "Le musée du Louvre," or simply The Louvre, as the French-challenged among us call it? A few things usually come to mind: Paris, the Mona Lisa, and the breathtaking architecture for starters. This month, however, slam poetry has been the non-traditional artistic addition to the famous museum. We think this betokens an increasingly evident U.S. influence in Paris and may be a tip of the hat to the many Americans who visit the Louvre each year (more than any other nationality).
The Louvre invited the poets to rap about paintings. Nobel laureate Toni Morrison will serve as the guest curator. She assisted the museum in creating a series of readings, films, lectures, and concerts that all tie into her theme, "The Foreigners Home." This theme riffs on the idea of belonging, exile, and national identity. The presentations will continue through November 29, 2006.
The artists along with Morrison will visit one of the troubled suburbs that was affected by explosive riots one year ago. The riots stemmed from anger about discrimination toward French teenagers who are immigrants of African and Muslim North African descent.
Other artists participating in the series are writers Michael Ondaatje, Edwige Danticat, musician Toumani Diabate, video artist Peter Welz, choreographer William Forsythe, and filmmaker Charles Burnett.
