"OH They're coming," said Michael Forbes, first secretary with the French Embassy in Paris, as we craned towards the door of the 18th century Ecole des Beaux-Arts on the banks of the Seine. "Madame Chirac is here that's good, she usually only does State visits, and this isn't one."
Some of the 16 artists exhibiting at this prestigious exhibition, including Philip Napier and Fionnuala Nf Chiosain, admitted to nerves. Alanna O'Kelly was relaxed, however, with her unnamed six-month-old daughter at her breast ("We're waiting to let a name settle with her"), and John Aiken was convinced he saw a look of particular interest in M. Chirac's eyes when he mentioned a particular defence system which had inspired some of his work.
Artists in the exhibition include Shane Cullen, Frances Hegarty, John Kindness, Ciaran Lennon, Mick O'Kelly, Sean Scully, Paul Seawright, Sean Shanahan, Anne Tallentire, and Alice Maher, the belle of the ball in a purple velvet suit.
Other guests included Minister Higgins and his wife Sabina, the Irish Ambassador to France, Patrick O'Connor and his wife Patricia, Dublin Theatre Festival director and L'Imaginaire committee member Tony O Dalaigh, Special Advisor to Minister Higgins, Colm O Briain, vice-chairman of the Northern Ireland Arts Council Sir Charles Brett, with Lady Brett, James Joyce's grandson Stephen, Michel Denisot, head of the Channel 4-like Chanal Plus and a noted hibernophile, Cathenne David, curator of the world's biggest exhibition of contemporary art, Documenta. Nikki Marquardt was also there. Liam Kelly of the Orchard Gallery had organised an exhibition for her gallery with work by Willie Doherty, Kathy Prendergast and Rita Donagh. The Mayor of Derry, John Kerr, opened that show on Thursday.
False rumours had spread that there were French exhibition openings where you wouldn't get so much as a glass of water, so when champagne corks popped in the glorious, gilt-ceilinged director's office, word spread like wildfire through the Irish contingent. The theatre-bound crowd soon took their leave but met up again with the gallery folk in the small hours.