“Petit Appétit” exhibition #2 : L’Imprimerie
Until the 5th of July, Jean Jullien presents his new exhibition “Petit Appétit” at L’Imprimerie in collaboration with Fricote Magazine. The exhibition focuses on the theme of the table with a variety of entertaining and fun illustrations. To delight our taste buds, the artist concocted a series of exclusive products in collaboration with À La Mère De Famille chocolatier, and a gigantic sculpture with the collective A BOIS PARIS. A few hours before the show, we met Julien Pham, co-founder and chief editor of Fricote …
Hi Julien! It is a few hours before the exhibition « Petit Appétit » by Jean Jullien, what are your first impressions?
Honestly I am very chilled as we are with partners who are reliable and very competent in their respective fields. It is our role at Fricote Magazine to ensure that Jean is super happy delivering and on what he is going to present tonight. We must put everything into the best possible conditions.
How did you meet Jean Jullien?
It was at number 13 Fricote. It was about a year and a half to two years ago. I have always followed his work, at first from a far and then in recent years a little closer because he has become so well known. I’ve always loved his ideas, even beyond the line and his way of drawing. I found myself in tune with him without even knowing him. When it came to the idea of working on a magazine cover, we thought of him. We wanted to do something about the integration of mobile phones at the dinner table during the meal. Jean had already addressed this issue very well by using visuals and you managed to get his idea. So through this social issue we agreed to stick with this theme and we released the cover. He came into the office one Sunday and were directly hooked.
What piece do you prefer in the exhibition?
It’s difficult, I like everything. In particular I like the pallets of Peanut Butter & Jelly. This is the kind of thing that I like. It’s by a traditional Parisian chocolatier and it made me laugh to see his chocolates with these products. We work with Jean, who has this image, a little pop and that works very well in Anglo-Saxon countries. I also love the works that are made with wood. It’s a lot of work that starts from a ton of wood in the beginning. It’s both a solid and precise piece of work. The finishes are incredible, and everything is created from Jean’s drawing.
Can you tell us a little about the Imprimerie? How did you and your partners have the idea of making a “pop-up gallery”?
David, Régis and Nicolas had the idea a few years ago. We had an old printer here, and a privileged contact with the person who was going to leave the place. Nicolas immediately had the vision of somewhere ephemeral. At the time it was not that easy because there wasn’t really anywhere “pop-up” where you could come with an idea, a concept, and the desire to expose or launch a product. The idea came like that in one month. As time went by it became more refined, we hosted some really cool stuff, as well as exhibitions and product launches of fairly prestigious brands.
After having odd jobs, you started as a trainee at Shoes Up. Can you tell us about your time at the magazine?
I started training in promotion. The idea was to make Shoes Up as well-known as possible and also to work on the image. I did this for quite some time, which got me in touch with brands and market players. I have driven things from an editorial point of view too, but I had a tendency towards cooking.
What relationship do you have with food?
I think it came from my family. My sister also turned towards cooking whereas she was more into music to start with. And at one point in her life as for me, we said “we really get a kick out of cooking.” She was a chef by trade, I prefer to eat and talk and so the name of Fricote was born. Family meals also have a great impact, the relationship with my mother and my grandmother and happened in the kitchen, and also the way we grew up, travels etc … The fact of going to The States and being made aware of American food and all that is excessive but really well “marketed” gets you from childhood too.
Today you are the co-founder and editor of the magazine Fricote. How did the magazine start?
Nicolas was the trigger, he saw that I was going around in circles at Shoes Up. It was he who really made me pull my finger out. We were eating a bagel at the time that bagels had just arrived in Paris and he said “let’s think about a food concept.” We thought about it together and out spawned the concept: Fricote.
Can you summarize the content of Fricote in a nutshell?
For us it is an evolving concept with time. They are creative trends on the plate and around it. Fricote is also about what is going on the plate and what you eat, from the plate and cutlery that will serve you, the table that supports this dish, and to most of all the people around the table and the time you spend together. There are lots of bridges that are created between the creative universe and the dish, and we are there to capture it all. Whether by a photographer who has decided to shoot the petals of a Corn Flakes cereal packet or 3 star chef who does incredible things, it interests us a lot.
Who does Fricote write for?
To all the people who like food. If you have a heartfelt appeal for food, you can find something in Fricote. There are very light hearted sections and we like it like that. There are also subjects where we dig a little deeper.
Do you have any plans for the future?
“We go with the flow” as they say. A newsletter will be out every week soon, where Jean Jullien has just created us a character called Mr. Fricote who is the word of mouth. We do not intend to scout for a new location, but we must have this critical link of word of mouth. We have created a hashtag BAO.
Streetfood has been developing for several years now, with an explosion of burger restaurants. What do you think of all this?
It’s too much. In Paris, we have gone from a total burger desert to overload in the space of 3 or 4 years. Before, when you wanted a good burger you didn’t know where to go. There were burgers served on a plate, in American restaurants, bars, or in fast food places. Today the positive thing is that there are lots of guys in our generation that have begun to upgrade the quality of burgers. The prices are higher, but I prefer that rather than at the time when they were making burger with sliced bread that cost you 19 euros. It’s a bit more justified today even though it’s still a bit excessive when compared to the United States. There, burgers are something cheap that you can get out there quite easily. In Paris it is more gourmet. My feeling is shared somewhat because now you have a choice, but this is again excessive. You should also know how to sort through these choices. Today there are lots of people riding the wave, and that have opened standardized locations centered around burgers. These places should be avoided.
Name two dishes that you love to eat?
The perfect dish for me is an emotional food: Pho soup. I am from Vietnam and I ate this during my childhood, my adolescence and I still eat it today. For me it is the balance of the dish that is perfect. The hot stock comforts you, the rice noodles nourishes you, there are the flavors and acidity of lemon and salt in a broth, raw meat and cooked meat mixed with dumplings and fresh herbs. I will also always remember the first brekkie that I made with my friend Yue Septimius where we ate pig’s chest and it was exceptional. A friendship was then born with this chef to which we have done a magazine cover with Yue and Bertrand Grébaut.
Final question, can you give us one or two places to eat in Paris?
Right now I like to go to a place called La Cave à Michel in Belleville, rue Sainte-Marthe. Romain Tischenko and his brother Galopin opened it a few years ago and they opened the bar just next to this which was a wine merchant. You can eat small dishes here that are well made and super good. They have the best egg-mayo in Paris. My little tradition there is to order the egg-mayo and broth. There is a good atmosphere and I feel good there. There is also Septimus, an empire created by Bertrand Grébaut and Theo Pourriat his partner. They created Septimius, Septime Clamato and La Cave. These are exceptional places.
Thank you to Julien Pham.
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