Palenque's Pariscope: New Major Museum Opens with World's Largest Wall of Vegetation
 

It's not everyday that what is billed as a new major Paris museum in the heart of Paris throws open its doors but it will happen on June 20, 2006 when President Jack Chirac will inaugurate the spanking new Musee de Quai Branly.
The Qaui Branly Museum will showcase the arts and civilizations of Africa, the Americans and Oceania, highlighting collections acclaimed as treasures of the non-European world.
The French Embassy's press office characterizes the new museum as a 'new type of cultural institution, with a dual purpose to conserve and exhibit the collections and to stimulate research and instruction." There will be a wide array of programming of performing arts - thetre, music and dance to create a 'cultural city'.

This is what Michel Osman posted on his destinationparis site.

"Another jewel in Paris' collection
French envoy and diplomats in S'pore tell NOOR AISHA what their country aims to do with the Musee du quai Branly, a museum devoted to non-European civilisations slated to open to the public on June 23. SITUATED along the River Seine in Paris, the Musee du quai Branly opens its doors to the public on June 23.

International fare: Designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, the Musee du quai Branly will host 300,000 artefacts from Africa, Asia, Oceania and America
'This is the first time that we are having a museum devoted to non-European civilisations in France,' said Jean-Paul Reau, the Ambassador of France in Singapore. 'Paris is like a beautiful lady adding a jewel to her collection.'
'As French, we are rooted in our culture, but we also have another culture of going abroad and exploring,' said Yves Carmona, counsellor, deputy head of mission with the French Embassy here.
'What we're trying to do is increase the understanding of different cultures and different people. We hope to make a connection with today's reality,' said Bernard Luciani, Counsellor for Culture, Science and Education at the embassy.
The creation of the museum has been an adventure 10 years in the making since President Jacques Chirac announced his intention to create a museum devoted to the arts of Africa, Asia, Ocenia and the Americas in 1995.
Just like the famous Louvre in Paris, the Musee du quai Branly gets its name because of its location, not vocation. 'Quai' is synonymous with the English word 'quay', and the Musee du quai Branly is indeed located along the banks of a river.
Occupying a total land area of 39,000 square metres, some 3,500 of the 300,000 works in the collection will be on permanent public display. The total budget for the museum is an impressive 232.5 million euro (S$469.5 million).
The museum will house four lively collections - textiles, photographic, musicology and history. It will also showcase live performances depicting epics such as the famous Mahabharata.
Surreal architecture
'Free educational classes and conferences on topics such as anthropology and social sciences will be held,' says Mr Luciani. This is to provide visitors a deeper understanding of non-European cultures and to develop the production of scientific ideas.
A major selling point of the museum lies in its architecture. Designed by the renowned French architect Jean Nouvel, the building - in warm colours and partly covered with wood - looks like a long footbridge set in the midst of trees.
Designed with the collections in mind, glass walls replace showcases. From the inside, the effects of transparency and the natural backdrop formed by the trees allow the eye to roam freely.
'It can only be constructed by challenging the expression of our present Western contingencies. Farewell to structures, fluidity, frontage joinery, safety staircases, railings, false ceilings, projectors, pedestals, showcases and wall clocks,' said Mr Nouvel.
The architecture therefore possesses its own style of modernity, with its own non-Western language playing on the emotions and on visitors' sense of disorientation. It definitely breaks away from the traditional codes governing museums.
Mr Reau said the museum was expected to attract about one million visitors within a year of its opening.
'Once the initial excitement about the opening of a new cultural institution in Paris has abated, it is up to visitors to let us know whether our choices have been judicious ones and whether they live up to their expectations,' said Stephane Martin, president of the museum. 'The public will have the final word on whether the museum is truly the centre of exchange and dialogue that we hope it becomes."

In another article, I read that the restaurant at the top has terricic views







.about the opening of a new cultural institution in Paris has abated, it is up to visitors to let us know whether our choices have been judicious ones and whether they live up to their expectations,' said Stephane Martin, president of the museum. 'The public will have the final word on whether the museum is truly the centre of exchange and dialogue that we hope it becomes.'







I read the restaurant on top has terrific views.

Singing scorpion (if i translated your screen name right):
Thanks for such a indepth look - it makes it sound much more significant and novel than the Embassy press release - on my agenda for new fall's Paris trip. Thanks!

The website is http://www.quaibranly.fr/

((I))

I beg your parden, Pal, a cigale is a cicada who sings all summer under the hot Provençal sun :)

Sorry singing cicada!

As for the world's largest wall of vegetation: (says the French Embassy press release) "the world's largest wall of vegetation with 15,000 plants and ferns grown on a vertical support devoid of soil"

and it mentions other "unusual" features of the museum: adisplay of boxes of varying sizes attached to the wall outside the main gallery and serving as showcases for the objects on display; and the ginat 16-metre diameter glass "silo" built to house the collection of 9,000 musical instruments."
web site given in the Embassy's press release: www.quaibranly.com

ttt
Opening soon! :-)

For the lucky ones who are in Paris now... Opening today and it is free of charge today and for the week end (8.50€) :-)

Unfortunately, the building is a serious eyesore—completely and utterly out of place in the Seventh. I don't understand why these places can't be built somewhere on the edges of town, where ugly architecture won't hurt anything, anyway. The same space could have been used for new housing or businesses with an architecture that matches the surroundings.