Place of the month: Taschen in Copenhagen

Copenhagen finally got a really high class art bookshop. For a while I've been ashamed of the selection of bookshops in Copenhagen. I think in general the city has about maybe 4 bookshops that have more than just best-sellers in Danish or photo books with the royal family and so on. Some of the more serious bookstores here have turned their space into book cafés to attract more people, but I'm not sure it has motivated more buyeres – Maybe?

So I'm happy for any new type of shop that actually takes books serious as a medium and celebrate them in a concept store.

I do realise that Taschen is an arty and 'coffee table book' type of bookshop that obviously does not specialise in serious or heavy reading material. But it is such a cool bookshop – I mean a shop dedicated to visually cool books – no more, no less. I've also made it place of the month because I'm a huge fan of Taschen's books. It's such a visually exciting universe. So I really look forward to dropping in now and again to browse into a funnier and more glamours world.

While I wait for Coco

The most anticipated fashion films this year Coco Avant Chanel and Coco and Igor are not coming out in Denmark until September. Even though Coco Avant Chanel premiered in Paris in April! Come on – what's the big idea? - why such a wait for the rest of us?
Well, while I'm waiting, I've been reading up on Gabrielle and her time in 'The World of Coco Chanel- Friends, Fashion, Fame' by Edmonde Charles-Roux.

It's not a serious biography about her personal life, but more an attempt of providing a look inside her world and the people around her in that period. And I kind of like this way of looking at Chanel, even though it does add a certain gossipy flavour to it. The good thing is that the book tells us about the people she was inspired by and spent time with, and indirectly that portrays her style and artistic vision for fashion.

Besides the book, that has more pictures than it has actual text (definitely satisfying your visual huger for Coco and her period of glory), I found the new commercial film for Chanel no.5 with of course Audrey Tautou as the leading lady. The Amalie-team (meaning Jean-Pierre Jeunet) is behind this film, which really shows in the colours and composition of the frames. I also think it has a little of the same goofyness of Amalie and his other films – I wonder if that's intentional? You can see the whole film here.

But, alas after all of this Chanel propaganda I'm still just sitting here waiting...

Paris, Capital of Photography

On a short stay in Paris last week I had the pleasure of seeing another great example of amazing photography. This is obviously in a completely different genre, but still made a huge impression on me. At Jeu de paume in Pairs I saw The Christian Bouqueret collection of French 1920s-40s avant grade photography.

The 1920 and 30s have had something of a renaissance these days in art and style and this exhibitions really made me want to just travel back in time and be a part of this period in Paris cultural history. These photos bring forward the simplicity of black and white photography and yet opens up new perspectives on the motives and how to look at the world.

Some of the photographs on display are by well known artists such as Henri Cartier-Bresson and Brassai who are especially famous for their images from Paris street life. Together with the more experimental pictures the exhibition brings out the very best of black and white photography of that time.