Cross-posted from our sister site: K-ComicsBeat:
Continuing my France-Japan travel diary, first day in Paris. You can see my Day 0 – Day 1 entries which feature some of my past travel misadventures and travel tips. Now onto the actual comic part of the trip!
Day One (continued) – Comics, 1964-2024 at Center Pompidou, Paris
After arriving in Paris, I dropped off my luggage at the hotel and walked to the Pompidou Center to visit the “Bande dessinée (Comics) 1964-2024” exhibition. The exhibition opens in late May 2024 and is part of the City of Light’s various events and cultural events celebrating the 2024 Olympic Games.
In contrast to the United States, France views comics as a unique form of cultural expression, valued alongside music, literature, sculpture, painting, architecture, theater, and media arts (radio, television, photography). I know this is called the “ninth art” but I was surprised to find out there is a tenth artth And art: video games and digital art.
It is truly special that comics have been chosen as a valuable art form in France. You can see this level of respect and government funding/support for comics in Japan and even Korea, but not so much in the United States, where there are relatively few comic conventions and museums dedicated to comics and their creators.
I was so grateful that I bought tickets for this exhibition in advance because there was a sign at the door that said “Tickets for today’s temporary exhibition are sold out.” This is especially important because the last day of the exhibition is Monday, November 4th, and Sunday is the only full day I have in Paris. I purposely arrived in Paris this weekend because I really, really wanted to see this show in person, so it would be a shame to come all the way and be turned away.
France Travel Tip 6: Book Museum and Attraction Tickets in Advance
Many popular museums and attractions in France offer online ticket purchases. Even if the museum/attraction is not sold out, these advance tickets can often allow you to avoid long lines to get in (the Louvre Museum is a good example).
