Night of Museums Illuminates Historic Pavilions and Japanese Art in Courbevoie

During the Night of Museums event on Saturday, May 23, two historic pavilions in Courbevoie's Bécon Park hosted special programming. The Pavillon des Indes, originally constructed for the 1878 Universal Exposition in Paris and later relocated to Courbevoie, featured a custom lighting installation that highlighted its ornate wooden carvings. This structure, built for the future King Edward VII to display his travel collections, remains preserved as a historical monument. Nearby, the former Swedish and Norwegian pavilion from the same 1878 exposition housed the Roybet Fould Museum, which presented works by Japanese artist Kimihito Okuyama. Okuyama, who has lived in Courbevoie for four decades, explores concepts of time through various media including painting, printmaking, photography, poetry, and installations. His exhibition aimed to convey the Japanese concept of 'ma,' referring to inhabited silence or pauses. The event also included a temporary patisserie installation called Pavillon des Douceurs in front of the illuminated Pavillon des Indes. The free event ran from 8 PM to midnight at 178 Boulevard Saint Denis in Courbevoie, accessible via the Pont de Levallois metro station.