Saturday Lunch at Atelier Francois Baschet

Last Saturday afternoon I was invited to an event that could only happen in Paris.
My friend Michelle Gross, also from New York and living in Paris, has been telling me for years about an artist friend who has an open house lunch at his studio in the Latin Quarter every Saturday. Each time she invited me I would make excuses or say someday or another time when I am not so busy. Last Saturday I finally said yes, as a tour cancelled at the last minute and I was free.
Francois Baschet was a sculptor who worked mostly with metal. Along with his brother Bernard, who is an engineer, they created sound sculptures and musical instruments. They went on to invent an inflatable guitar, an aluminum piano and many other experimental instruments, which were highly popular with musicians, composers, and directors.
Foyer des Artistes was like a cafeteria in the 60's and 70's- it was cheap, many artists went there both rich, poor, and in between. François and Bernard had one of their first exhibitions there. When it closed about 50 years ago, François wanted to open a similar eatery with a friend, but they never found the time or venue for such a place, so he started a tradition of making lunch every day at his studio and inviting friends, neighbors, and other artists to join him. Over the years the lunches lessened- first to Wednesdays and Saturdays, then just Saturdays. Thousands of guests over the years have attended, including Xaviera Hollander/The Happy Hooker.
François Baschet passed away last February at the ripe old age of 93, although he was considered too young to die in his family as many of them have lived till over 100 and his brother Bernard is 97. In recent years François lived mostly in Barcelona but kept the studio in Paris. Friends continued the traditional Saturday lunch while he lived in Barcelona and have continued even after his death. Despite his passing, the studio remains intact for now and the lunch tradition continues.

Lunch is an open invitation and the only requirement is to bring a bottle and a sausage or anything else you would like to contribute. Michelle said you never knew who was going to show up and it could be just a few people or 25. I arrived at 2PM and Antonio, who is Spanish, was behind the stove stirring a large stockpot that had some kind aromatic stew, with garlic for sure. We were just five or six people at first, an interesting mix, which included an American photojournalist and photographer who has been working in Paris for 50 years.
Michelle’s father Sam Gross, is one of the longest running and respected New Yorker cartoonists and over 550 of his cartoons have graced the magazine in the last six decades. Two fellow artists from Mexico now living in New York for the past 30 years who are friends of Sam's were visiting Paris and joined us. A steady flow of people came in and out in the next two hours and the little crowd of five or six now blossomed to about 20. It was quite an international mix, with Spanish, French, English, and Italian flowing freely. We feasted on a hearty stew of meatballs, peppers, tomatoes, and kidney beans. One guest, the owner of the local boulangerie, brought a huge, shiny top Gallette de roi/Kings cake and a Frenchman at the end of the table was the lucky one to get the fève. We all toasted the arrival of the New Year.
 
The studio was a mishmash of sculptures hidden under plastic wrap, tools, scraps, machinery, and found objects. Every time I turned to look at something, Michelle remarked that Francois had taken a object and made it into something, for instance the sink basin was made from photo developing trays. She also demonstrated some of the kinetic sculptures, that either had sound to them or water pushing through them.
Guests started to leave about 4:30PM, warmly saying their goodbyes with hugs and kisses and promised they would see each other again soon.  Michelle said sometimes the lunch last through the evening and there are jam sessions with musician and singers.
I also want to return again soon and if you want to come with me, let me know.
Here are some links for Francois Baschet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qagAnX6eJ8
http://francois.baschet.free.fr/story.htm





yes, that's a toilet seat

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.
Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.
Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.
 

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 210 euros for up to 3 people, and 70 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com 

Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour