Paris Summer Art Stroll (Part 1)

Marc Riboud - Famous images of Chilean demonstrations for freedom and democracy: The reputation of Paris as the capital of art is well-deserved. It is free, romantic, warm, and imbued with a humanistic atmosphere, gathering artists from around the world who seek inspiration, feel the pinnacle of humanism and fashion, and create contemporary art. Paris has endless exhibitions to see, both indoors and outdoors, especially from the pleasant spring holidays until the poetic autumn. During every summer vacation, the Luxembourg Garden, lush with greenery and flowers, always hosts outdoor sculpture exhibitions. This year, naturally, it is no exception; there are also special photography exhibitions by world-renowned masters on the railings and walls, attracting thousands of visitors every year to stop and admire these extraordinary images and sculptural arts for free. While strolling leisurely, one gets close to art and keeps company with it, enhancing the social humanistic atmosphere and artistic cultivation. Art makes society more peaceful and complete, becoming today's most socially educational public activity.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the European '68 student protests. Do you remember the intense Vietnam War 40 years ago, the notable Cultural Revolution disaster in China, the disillusionment of freedom during the Prague Spring in Eastern Europe, the African American civil rights movement in the United States, the Cuban Revolution and the overthrow of the left-wing government in Chile by the military, and the prevalence of The Beatles? Against this backdrop of global events, young Westerners full of ideals and left-wing activists woke up from consumerist society, rose up against the Vietnam War, sought justice, and aimed to liberate Western bourgeois society, triggering global student demonstrations. It was the largest and most dramatic student and labor unrest in Europe since World War II. On this 40th anniversary, what is worth reflecting upon is how the '68 protests changed the contemporary Western world in both positive and negative ways. Whether the utopian ideal or disillusionment, at least it elevated people's courage, values, and appreciation for freedom, democracy, building new social systems, environmental sustainability awareness, social justice, and human rights.

The fire of the Paris student protests spread from Nanterre University. The student area around the Sorbonne University in the Latin Quarter became the core stage of the unrest. Occupying the Odeon Square in the Latin Quarter held value and metaphor similar to storming the Bastille during the 1789 revolution. Thus, intense face-to-face violent confrontations were concentrated in this area. On this 40th anniversary, large-scale black-and-white documentary photographs by renowned photojournalist Marc Riboud, capturing the incredible '68 student protests, are specially exhibited outdoors on the iron railings in front of and behind the Sorbonne University and the Louise-le-Grand High School. When reviewing this historical event today, we must not only learn from history but also carry forward the values and ideals of these nameless young students' social movements. It is obvious that no liberation or value falls from the sky; democratic freedom and everything else in social evolution are values exchanged through blood, sweat, and struggle.