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The French capital stayed up until the wee hours of Sunday as Parisians marked Nuit Blanche &ndash literally sleepless night &ndash an annual nocturnal celebration of contemporary art.
© Marie-Sophie JoubertA giant screen outside the magnificently illuminated City Hall building drew crowds. © Marie-Sophie JoubertAt a metro station: art in transition © Marie-Sophie JoubertCutting-edge art at the new 飀' contemporary art and culture centre in eastern Paris © Marie-Sophie JoubertHamming it up or simply interacting with the art © Marie-Sophie JoubertAn artist working on a giant meringue screen takes a break at the landmark Pompidou Centre. © Marie-Sophie JoubertMusic, dancing, art and a touch of romance at a Nuit Blanche gathering.. © Marie-Sophie JoubertA heartbeat away from the heart of the city © Marie-Sophie JoubertInside the historic Notre Dame cathedral © Marie-Sophie JoubertBlending the old with the avant-garde © Marie-Sophie JoubertA giant screen in a church displays images of an airport arrivals terminal © Marie-Sophie JoubertEdible chocolate mannequins © Marie-Sophie JoubertIt's all in the detail: up close with a chocolate mannequin © Marie-Sophie JoubertThe art party continued into the wee hours of SundayStart the slideshow
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The eighth annual Nuit Blanche festival was expected to attract about 1.5 million people, according to Christophe Girard, deputy mayor of Paris.
If the current trend continues, we should have slightly more people this year than the previous year, Girard told the news service shortly before midnight.
While public viewings of art installations across the city began Saturday around 7pm, most visitors on this special night opt to view the installations toward midnight.
Giant green laser beam
Shortly after sundown on Saturday, queues of visitors were snaking at the entrance of the Luxembourg gardens in the historic Latin Quarter as well as the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont in eastern Paris.
The Latin Quarter and the central Chatelet-Marais areas have traditionally showcased contemporary art installations on this special night. This year Nuit Blanche also featured a number of showings in the north-eastern 19th arondissement, which houses a number of contemporary art studios.
The highlight of the eighth annual Nuit Blanche was a giant green laser beam launched by composer Jean Michel Jarre from the 14th arondissement in southern Paris, which was visible for around 5.5 kilometres right up to the heights of the Montmartre area in northern Paris.
Every year, the all-night art party winds down at around 7am on Sunday.
contemporary art – culture – France – Paris