Musée Quai Branly – one of Paris’ coolest museums, and one of my favourites (in Paris and the world) – will celebrate its 10th anniversary with two special exhibitions and an anniversary weekend of free festivities 25-26 June.
Musée Quai Branly is home to one of world’s most impressive collections of the indigenous art and cultural artefacts from Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas.The collection has 450,000 objects, of which 3,500 are on display at any given time, in both permanent and temporary thematic exhibits.
I love the place – and think it’s super cool that the museum opened the same year I started this blog (in fact I think I visited it soon after it opened in 2006). I’m glad to say I’ll be paying a visit to Quai Branly later this summer. I’m stoked to see the Matahoata Marquesas exhibition that’s on now until 24 July. But I’m bummed I won’t be able to get over there in time for the anniversary weekend.
That doesn’t mean you can’t though. Here’s a preview of what’s on at the museum to mark its decade as a “cultural city” dedicated to sharing and highlighting the arts and civilisations of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas.
Jacques Chirac ou le dialogue des cultures
21 June to 9 October 2016
The museum is is devoting a major exhibition to its founder, the former President of France, Jacques Chirac. Through more than 150 artworks from public and private collections in France and abroad, and around sixty key dates, corresponding to important events in world history, cultural history and the life of President Chirac, the exhibition reveals how the paths of one man’s life and those of the history of non-European civilisations are interwoven.
The White Hare of Inaba-Navajo
9 June to 19 June 2016
Ten years on from inauguring the Claude Lévi-Strauss Theatre, the Japanese director Miyagi Satoshi has been invited to produce a new show to celebrate the anniversary of the musée du quai Branly. Here, Miyagi Satoshi brings two Japanese myths face to face with the Navajo Indian myths described by Claude Lévi-Strauss in his collection The Other Face of the Moon.
The Anniversary Week-End
25 and 26 June 2016
Two days of “the best activities offered to visitors from the last 10 years” will offer the chance to discover of the museum’s collections and exhibitions via a full schedule of free activities throughout the museum’s indoor and outdoor spaces, with games, workshops, storytelling, DJ sets and more.
Musée Quai Branly is located at 37 Quai Branly, 75007 Paris. Find out more at quaibranly.fr/en.
