Musee du Quai de Branly
In France, the cultural (and economic) hegemony Paris holds over the rest of France is a phenomenon which engenders a perennial and bitter debate. This phenomenon, dubbed �Paris-Province� (�province� being a somewhat derogatory term to describe everything that isn�t Paris -- think New York City versus upstate New York), refers to the fact that Paris tends to attract the lion�s share of money for cultural attractions and such. There was a big brouhaha, for example, over the opening of the Bastille Opera House, with many asking why Paris needed a second opera, while most other cities don�t even have one in the first place. Ay, such is the plight of living under the long shadow cast by the 800-pound Parisian cultural gorilla. Bitter debates notwithstanding, the Paris-Province phenomenon continues unabated. To wit: Paris� newest museum, the Mus�e du Quai de Branly, built on (very, very) prime real estate along the left bank of the Seine, just east of the Eiffel Tower.
Scheduled to open in June, the museum is set to become yet another jewel in Paris� cultural crown, and a particularly bright one at that. The museum itself is a stunning modern structure designed by ubiquitous architectural genius Jean Nouvel, the man responsible for other modern Paris landmarks such as the Institut du Monde Arabe and the Fondation Cartier. In typical Nouvel fashion, the building makes ample use of glass, giving a transparent, airy feeling -- but also purpose-built to be modular in order to adapt to future exhibitions. In addition, an impressive �vertical garden� of over 150 species of plants adorns the northern fa�ade facing the Seine. As if that weren�t enough, the museum will also include a huge (by Paris standards -- 18,000 square meters in all) public garden, complete with an open-air amphitheatre. Inside, the museum will house �primitive� art from Africa and Oceana, as well as Asia and the Americas. Appropriate artifacts have been transferred from other museums to help stock the permanent collection, and the museum has already set up strategic relationships with other institutions hailing from as far away as Australia. The museography will thus present an original and refreshing counterpoint to the other mostly Eurocentric museums in Paris. Look for the Mus�e du Quai Branly to become a must-see addition on the Left Bank tourist circuit of Saint-Germain des Pr�s, the Mus�e d�Orsay, the Invalides, and the Eiffel Tower. In short, it seems that Lyon, Bordeaux, and Marseilles will have to wait a bit longer for their moment in the sun.
Jean Nouvel [Official site]
Institut du Monde Arabe [Official site]
Fondation Cartier [Official site]
Mus�e du Quai de Branly [Official site]
Previously: Art Closing and Opening, Road Movies, Invader Goes 3-D, Le Petit Palais Reopens, Picasso�s Passion for Drawing
