What does the word ‘Paris’ evoke for you?
Poetry, the color of wine, and the sound of glass.
Your first memory of Paris?
The Centre Pompidou: Arriving in Paris at the age of 21 in a sunny summertime and being taken away by the buzz of this large piazza facing a colorful building buzzing with life and art.
Where do you feel most at home?
When designing; in the spaces that I imagine. In the moment of a dream while totally awake.
What is the mark of a true Parisian?
Paris is such a diverse city. I work in the 11th arrondissement surrounded by Parisians from Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe… giving a taste of Paris.
Which famous figure best embodies Paris?
Serge Gainsbourg, Édith Piaf – timeless voices of Paris. Fairuz [the Lebanese singer] – songs that recall Beirut while heard in Paris.
Your favorite place for breakfast?
I love the coffee at Café de la Lune; Mokonuts; Chambelland in the 11th arrondissement and Ten Belles in the 10th. The best brunch is at Tawlet. Something even more glamorous? All the grand hotels of Paris.
Where are the best boutiques?
I love strolling in Galerie Vivienne; beautifully situated close to the Palais Royal and architectural chefs d’oeuvre. In Passage des Panoramas – one of the first covered pathways of Paris – there are simply fantastic places to stroll and discover boutiques in an architecturally delightful setting.
Walking in the city, I love Ogata Paris which brings me back to my many walks in Tokyo. For fine paper lovers, a walk towards the Seine leads to some of the paper specialists I love, like Calligrane.
Maybe a chocolate in the afternoon from a boutique I designed for Patrick Roger on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. And why not try it with a great tea at the CFOC tea house in the 16th; a beautiful place we’ve just finished designing where one cannot resist the ceramic collection.
Guests at your dream dinner party in Paris?
You! Bring your friends.
Where do you go out in Paris?
There are so many fantastic galleries and museums: Fondation Cartier, Musée Jacquemart-André, Place des Vosges… Great restaurants like Racines, or Passerini for Italian. For a truly timeless experience, Le Train Bleu or an evening at La Closerie des Lilas. And best of all, a day at my atelier designing, drawing, dreaming…
Which artwork best represents Paris?
Picasso’s The Acrobat (1930). A strange elegance combined with the perfect ease to discover the city every day.
What is the craziest thing you have seen or heard in the streets of Paris?
Silent Paris; the emptiness during Covid lockdown. A timeless city brought back to the 1920s with sunshine sparkling on the nature awakening in all of its cracks.
What can you only do in Paris?
Design a 330-meter tower for a temporary event and leave it behind for centuries!
What do you miss most about Paris when you are away?
The boulanger.
Your best advice for those just visiting?
Don’t get offended quickly, keep wearing your smile!
The Serpentine Pavilion 2023 by Lina Ghotmeh is on view from June 9 to October 29, 2023 in London. Lina Ghotmeh will also take part in Art Basel in Basel 2023 Conversations Program.
All photos and videos by Aliki Christoforou for Paris+ par Art Basel.
Published on June 6, 2023.