On the occasion of the pantheonization of Josephine Baker on November 30, an exhibition in the Parisian swimming pool of the 13th arrondissement that bears her name, pays tribute to her. The exhibition, which runs from November 25 to December 31, 2021, traces the history and fate of this icon of the Roaring Twenties. Discover the exhibition “Baker over the water”.
Through this exhibition, you can discover the life of this famous French-American singer and dancer. This is not all, the exhibition reveals archival images but also her influence on artists, through a dozen works such as paintings, sculptures, street art and digital creations on this iconic woman.
Built by the architect Robert de Busni, on the initiative of the Paris City Council, a swimming pool opened its doors in 2006, following the creation of “Paris Plages” and honors an icon since it is named the Josephine Baker pool.
Located on the Seine, at the foot of the François Mitterrand library in the 13th arrondissement, where Josephine Baker breathed her last. The Josephine Baker pool offers an incredible view of the Parisian capital so loved by the Franco-American artist.
This multimedia exhibition can be seen from the banks of the Seine as well as by swimmers in the Josephine Baker pool.
On November 30th, the dancer and singer Joséphine Baker entered the Panthéon, a rather special date, referring to the anniversary of her French naturalization. It is a day to mark with a white stone, since it is the first black woman and the sixth female figure to enter the Pantheon, a first step that gives hope for the future.
During the ceremony, the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron recalled that Josephine Baker enters the Pantheon “with all those who have chosen France, who have loved it and love it carnally. My France is Josephine. Because born American, deep down, there is no one more French than you“.
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Indeed, this woman of a thousand faces arrived in Paris during the 20s as a Broadway dancer and soon became the star of La Revue nègre and signed with Les Folies Bergère. It should be remembered that La Revue nègre was one of the first jazz shows in France. Josephine Baker was not only an artist but a resistance fighter on the side of Free France and an anti-racist activist, with the aim of fighting against all forms of racism.
Admission to the exhibition “Baker by the water” is free of charge, during the opening hours of the Josephine Baker pool.
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Featured photo : © Getty Images
