If you’re anything like me, anything with low, colorful lights and a ball pit will surely catch your eye. Maybe it’s my affinity for maximalist decor or the fact that I am more than likely a 10 year old trapped in the body of a 20 year old journalist, but I digress, the era of museums that double as adult (and kid!) playgrounds popping up (and coming to stay) all throughout my New York City home has been the perfect one for me to be living through.
It is because of the aforementioned affinity that I have such a vivid memory of season two of Emily in Paris. The Balloon Museum takes center stage in episode seven, titled “How to Lose a Designer in 10 Days.” The pop-up exhibition, initially located in Paris during filming and now residing in downtown Manhattan, gained significant attention during its time at La Grand Hall de la Villette, attracting over 800,000 visitors from April to September 2022. This success prompted its move to Milan, following a previous installation in Rome from December 2021 to May 2022.
The Balloon Museum, self-described as the “first incubator of artworks and installations completely created by inflatable and balloon art,” showcases immersive environments featuring works by international artists. As seen in the show, visitors encounter furnishings made entirely of balloons, including a lamp, cactus, couch, and coffee table. During Emily and Gabriel’s walk (and ball pit dive) through the immersive experience, I found myself utterly jealous, and wishing that the exhibition would make its way to New York. It would be just under a year before the exhibit made it’s way down to pier 36!
The New York installment is called the Let’s Fly exhibition, and it offers a stunning inflatable experience crafted by a collaboration of fourteen international artists. This concept transcends conventional art installations, embracing an avant-garde approach that redefines the traditional interactions with art. Let’s Fly encapsulates freedom, flight, and accessibility, taking spectators on an unprecedented sensory journey.
The exhibit thrives on physical interaction, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in a universe of unparalleled freedom. It’s a space where play, touch, and exploration lead through hypnotic visual realms. Artists like Michael Shaw, Sasha Frolova, Rub Kandy, Camilla Falsini, Cyril Lancelin, Tadao Cern, and SpY offer contrasting atmospheres—ranging from light, colorful worlds to heavier, darker tones. The journey is designed as an expedition through surprises and contrasts, igniting a genuine thirst for discovery.
In addition to the contemporary installations, the museum offers a space dedicated to the history of inflatables, tracing its origins from the Montgolfier brothers’ 18th-century experiments to iconic contemporary works like Jeff Koons’ Balloon Dog series. The Balloon Museum serves as a platform not only for contemporary inflatable art but also as a window into its rich historical evolution.
It aims to provide visitors with a tailor-made experience, offering marvels like the graceful bubbles of Quiet Ensemble, interactive sculptures such as ADA by Karina Smigla-Bobinski, the myriad black spheres of Hyperstudio collective, and the musical sculptures of Eness. These works stimulate the senses through touch, sight, and hearing, engaging visitors in transdisciplinary immersive art proposals.
If you make your way to the ball pit, you’re in for a treat. The massive area takes up nearly the whole room, and guests are treated to an immersive show while there. Between it’s interactive features, fantastic music, and photo worthy sites, everyone can have a great time at the exhibit, no matter what age they are.
We highly recommend a trip to the museum yourself! Hear more about it and grab your tickets here!
“I like your combination—it’s down my alley,” quips Patricia Field to Nadia Tulin in one of the early moments of Happy Clothes: A Film About Patricia Field, premiering at the 2023 Tribeca Festival.
“I like your combination—it’s down my alley,” quips Patricia Field to Nadia Tulin in one of the early moments of Happy Clothes: A Film About Patricia Field, premiering at the 2023 Tribeca Festival.
Oh mon Dieu! This weekend, New York City goers got a little taste of Paris right outside their windows to celebrate the newest season of Netflix’s fan-favorite show, Emily In Paris!
With the number of cliffhangers that the end of season two left, fans are more than eager for the newest season of the hit show. It’s been a year since Emily has moved to Paris and her life has been filled with stories; love triangles, her dream job, new friends, and more. But when she finds herself at an intriguing crossroads and faced with two very different life paths, she’ll have to make some tough decisions. Where do her loyalties truly lie within her career and love life, and how will these choices affect her future? On top of it all, she must continue to take everything that Paris throws at her as she embarks on the adventure of a lifetime.
It’s easy to watch a show like Emily in Paris and want to drop everything to try and make it in the city of love, but Netflix ensured that no one had to leave Manhattan to live like Emily. Before you even set foot inside of the experience, it’s abundantly clear how much the street has been transformed, with the cutest signs and decorations surrounding every corner. Fans were given a passport where they could collect stamps at each booth, earning rewards for the amount they collected, and having the cutest keepsake. As Emily teaches us, it’s crucial to capture the moment, so the first stop is a no brainer; Emily’s photo op!
Cocou and Catbird both set up camp and offered tons of freebies along the way. At the Catbird booth, fans helped themselves to complimentary tote bags, gift cards, and some delicious hot cocoa and chocolate dipped croissants. The first five pair of besties to collect all of their stamps each day were treated to gratuitous matching forever bracelets inside of Catbird, and we enjoyed getting zapped as well! The Catbird forever bracelets are the perfect addition to an experience celebrating a show full of love and friendship. They bring the standard friendship bracelet to the next level, a classic, sparkly, solid 14k bracelet fit and welded around your wrist by a Catbird jeweler. Cocou treated it’s visitors to french classes and workshops throughout the popup, to enhance the Parisian experience with more knowledge of the incredible city!
Maman’s holiday market featured delicious treats and drinks inspired by the show, and it’s cozy interior was the perfect place to warm up after strolling though the different markets. Visitors were able to get their holiday gifts wrapped at paper source’s gift wrapping station, or take home a gif wrapping kit of their own! And with their crepe truck, live performances, champagne happy hours and s much more, Little Paris was the highlight of everyone’s weekend.
Fans weren’t the only ones here to enjoy the experience. Lily Collins and Ashley Park stopped by to see the sites and talk about their favorite parts of Paris. Inside of Maman, we sat down with Bruno Gouery, Lucien Laviscount, William Abadie and Samuel Arnold to talk all things Paris, Fashion, and of course season 3.
“It all takes your breath away for a second,” Laviscount said, referring to the shows iconic fashion looks that keep getting better with every season. “And then you realize you’re on Emily in Paris. Everything is bigger, better and bolder.”
“We have to give credit to Marylin Fitoussi, our head of the wardrobe department,” Arnold agreed. “She just understands every single character and how to bring them to life through wardrobe. I just think that it’s amazing, because all of the characters are so different from one-another, and she understands all of those little worlds and literally rose the level this season.” He chuckled, recalling the sheer amount of clothes that the characters each honed during the filming. “We had so many clothes and didn’t use half of it.”
Abadie recalled his time on Sex and The City and And Just Like That, and how those experiences compare to Emily In Paris, working once again with creator Darren Star. “I have such a fondness and love for both people, in that I mean Americans and French, Parisians and New Yorkers. New York is the place that I came too twenty something years ago with big dreams and all, my first professional gig was given to me by Darren. Which was this little part in Sex and The City, this little guest that stuck with me throughout the decades. It was a dream come true, landing your first job in new york in such a competitive field. To do that in the states and in New York was a dream, Sex and The City is still the iconic show that it is. So to still ride that wave with Darren, for him ti bring me now back to France, in this amazing show with this amazing cast, it’s fantastic.”
Abadie isn’t the only one at the table who’s taken a few trips in his acting career, as Gouery can be seen in this season of The White Lotus. “It was a dream,” Gouery said, “To be apart of Emily in Paris and The White Lotus at the same time, because the two crews are amazing and the two shows are different, and very talented, both of them.”
Emily In Paris season 3 will be streaming on Netflix on December 21st! Check out the brilliant series here!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl3HY9yMEBI
Fans of bright-eyed protagonists with enviable wardrobes are sure to be pleased with the new Netflix series Emily in Paris, which premiered on the streaming platform this Friday, October 2.
Fans of bright-eyed protagonists with enviable wardrobes are sure to be pleased with the new Netflix series Emily in Paris, premiering on the streaming platform this Friday, October 2.