For five euros ($7), contemporary art aficionados can bypass the stress of driving in a foreign city and be chauffeured on the "art bus" to some of Paris' more hidden or hard-to-get-to contemporary art spaces and centers.

"The idea is to show them places where maybe they wouldn’t go by themselves," said Selma Toprak of the Paris Contemporary Art Network, the non-profit organization which operates the tour.

"It helps visitors to find contemporary art that exists beyond the walls of well-known art galleries, museums and art spaces listed in most Paris city guide books."

The tours also allow people to meet and speak with the directors of galleries or artists themselves.

Each month the bus visits different art locations, such as an open house of the National Fine Arts School to see works by recent graduates or the Domaine de Chamarande, a contemporary art museum in a 17th-century chateau an hour south of the city.

The artistic director of the center, Judith Quentel, takes tour groups through the chateau grounds, explaining the history of the site, and conducting private tours of the permanent exhibitions.

The current exhibit is called "Au pied de la lettre," a French idiomatic expression that means taking words at face value. All of the works in the exhibition have something to do with the written word.

Personal service

It is the personal service and detailed explanations that attract art lovers to the service. Nicole Baatz said it's particularly valuable that those on the tour get to meet the artists in person.

"That’s very interesting because normally, you don’t get to see the artists," said Nicole Baatz . "And you learn so much more than if you visited the place on your own."

The Domaine de Chamarande is located more than 40 kilometers outside of Paris and it is often hard for them to lure people from the city. Artistic Director Judith Quentel thinks the art bus solves that problem for them.

The taxi-tram "allows cultural sites located on the periphery of the capital, which are of equal artistic quality, to exist," said Quentel. "It also brings visitors here for the first time who may then come again."

The monthly taxi-tram visits are becoming so popular that there are never vacant seats. Starting next year, the tours will take place every weekend.

Author: Genevieve Oger (cn)

Editor: Kyle James