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Eiffel Tower: Terror alert, great art, life goes on …

  • August 12th, 2013
  • Posted by EU Australia

Mural eiffel 2 eiffel tower close2 The recent intensification of security precautions against a possible terrorist attack even caused a rare closing-down of visits to the Eiffel Tower.

Those looking out for the already-famous roof-top mural, in the name of Lena Nyadbi, could not have been amused.

While not as dire as the near stand-to which had American embassies, and some European embassies shut down in Yemen and elsewhere in the Middle East, in response to communications chatter; the two-hour closure was a signal of concern.

There’d been an anonymous phone call about a package left on the tower, on Friday (9.8.13); normally bomb scares are checked but not allowed to close the gates on the Summer crowds, thousands of people filing through.

Mural Eiffel 1All who waited to go up a bit later would have seen this year’s arresting new sight, in  the panoramic foreground: the representative mural following  Lena Nyadbi’s ‘Barramundi Scales’, on the roof of the Quai Branly Museum.

Unveiled on 7.6.13, and done in heavy-duty black and white paint, used for hoardings, its only real vantage point for viewing is the tower, just 100-metres across the road (av. de la Bourdonnais).

mural eiffel 3The artist (picture), from the Kimberleys, now enjoying a special pride of place, already had a mural at the museum, opened in 2006 as a showcase for global indigenous art. It has also been exhibiting the original ochre and charcoal ‘Barramundi Scales” painting.

‘Barramundi scales’ shows the fish, out of a Dreamtime story, being chased by women – the scales falling down.

The artist, 77, went up the tower for the first showing, feeling so moved, she said: “It made me want to cry”.

eiffel-flag-2Those wanting to see more of her paintings can walk a little further across the Eiffel Tower park (Champ de Mars) to the Australian Embassy, where they have an exhibition of aboriginal art going through to 30.10.13.  Location: 4 rue Jean Rey, Paris 15; Metro Bir Hakeim, RER C – Champ de Mars.

See picture gallery, making the mural: AAJ Press, London, Lena Nyadbi …. (11.6.13). http://aajpress.wordpress.com/2013/06/11/lena-nyadbi-dayiwul-lirlmim-barramundi-scales-musee-du-quai-branly-paris/, (12.8.13).

Reference

Blouin Artinfo, NY,  Jean Nouvel Provides the Canvas for Aboriginal Art Visible Only From the Eiffel Tower, 7.6.13. http://blogs.artinfo.com/objectlessons/2013/06/07/jean-nouvel-provides-the-canvas-for-aboriginal-art-visible-only-from-the-eiffel-tower/, (12.8.13).

Tony Eastley, Philip Williams, Indigenous artist’s work on Paris rooftop, ‘AM’, ABC, Sydney,7.6.13. http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2013/s3776666.htm, (12.8.13).

Warmun Arts Centre, Warmun via Kununurra,Lina Nyadbi’s new installation at the Muse du quai Branly … http://warmunart.com.au/news/, (12.8.13).

Pictures  ikono.org, rfi, wikipedia