‘Urban jewellery: Suzy’s charms - part of the exhibition ‘Mirror Mirror’ and on show in Cagnes-sur Mer and San Francisco - is a reflection of the life of Suzy Solidor. A nightclub owner, singer, model, writer and actress, Suzy Solidor was an intensely iconic figure of the Parisian nightlife in the thirties and forties. She passed away in 1983 in Cagnes-sur-Mer.

Never been to Cagnes-sur-Mer, I used Google Maps to wander in the streets of the city. Using an archetypal jewel (according to Wikipedia a charm bracelet is an item of jewellery worn around the wrist. It carries personal ‘charms’: decorative pendants or trinkets which signify important things in the wearer’s life) on a monumental scale and introduced into the urban space, this urban charm bracelet expresses Suzy Solidor’s extravagant lifestyle.

Music note: With a deep, captivating and sensual voice and her androgynous appearance Suzy Solidor seduced her audience.

Anchor: 'Le ciel est bleu, la mer est verte / Laisse un peu la fenêtre ouverte…. Le ciel est bas, la mer est grise /Ferme la fenêtre à la brise.' (from ‘Escale’ by Suzy Solidor)

Eiffel tower: Paris!

SS: Stands for Suzy Solidor, but also refers to the popularity of her first night club with German troops. ‘La Vie Parissiene’ was closed shortly after the liberation, and Solidor forbidden to run an establishment for five years.

Paintbrush: On her own initiative Suzy Solidor posed for more than two hundred portraits of herself. Seeing her self as a muse, she wanted to become the 'most painted woman in the world'.

Heart and female symbol: A self-avowed sexual predator - even though Solidor was openly gay, she was also rumoured to have liaisons with men -, and became somewhat of a de facto advocate of sexual freedom.

‘Mirror Mirror’ is on show in Espace Suzy Solidor in Cagnes-sur-Mer till September 23th, 2012. From October 24th till November 25th the exhibition will be on show in the Velvet da Vinci Gallery in San Francisco.

‘Urban jewellery: Suzy’s charms’ was made possible by the support of The Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture.