Musée de l’homme, a fascinating renovation

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Galerie de l'Homme, Hunting scene,©-Patrick Tourneboeuf

Galerie de l’Homme, Hunting scene with forgotten animals, ©-Patrick Tourneboeuf

After a six year renovation, fabulous Musée de l’Homme, located in Palais de Chaillot, has recently reopened for the great joy of children and parents. To see « Lucy » or whatever is left of her is undeniably a special emotion and to enter a world of warriors from 15 000 years ago and discover what they painted in caves and sculpted on mamouth ivory, is just as moving. My first visit on a Wednesday night (less crowded than during the day) with Gilles Nicolas, one of the artists involved in the many exhibition windows, was very pleasant.

A video piece on human evolution by artist Patrice Mugnier

A video piece on human evolution by artist Patrice Mugnier

Philosoper René Descartes's skull, ©-M.N.H.N.-JC Domenech.

Philosoper René Descartes’s skull, ©-M.N.H.N.-JC Domenech.

Who are we, where do we come from and where are we going ? these are the questions that research teams from Musée de l’Homme are trying to explore in a very modern, electronic way. Founded in Palais de Chaillot, across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower, in 1938 by President Albert Lebrun, the museum has always had the best anthropologists and shown the greatest prehistorical collections.

79 busts in plaster and 12 in bronze tell the story of humanity

79 busts in plaster and 12 in bronze tell the story of humanity

But now, it is also extremely entertaining. To understand the human lineage, its social and economic background, is the mission this museum has been assigned. Eighteen major scientists with a team of 150, have worked on the new content and 20% of the space is still devoted to research. Skeletons, silex, naturalized antique animals, rival with high technology and three dimensional decors.

Propulseur au bouquet in affronté, sculpted rain deer wood used for throwing weapons, dates back from15 000 years ago. ©-Jean-Christophe-Domenech-MNHN

“Propulseur aux bouquetins affrontés”, sculpted in raindeer wood, is used for throwing weapons and dates back from 15 000 years ago. ©-Jean-Christophe Domenech-MNHN

There are many screens to touch and buttons to activate in order to smell different types of cuisines; there are tongues, made of resin, to pull if you want to hear 30 exotic languages from all over the world (I went for Kirghiz and Amharique, spoken by 94million Ethiopians including the Queen of Saba!), and there are many visual pleasures like the heads Pavilion or small dark « cabinets de curiosités » full of skulls. I loved the Senegalese bus in which you sit to watch traffic in Dakar, and the lavish Mongolian Yourte where I wouldn’t mind spending a night in the middle of the tundra.

The Senegalese bus is being pulled up,

The Senegalese bus is being pulled up, above the Trocadero gardens,

But what struck me the most were six vertical video screens at the entrance of the galleries, six amazing ballets of images created by Patrice Mugnier, a partner of Active Creative Design. They are themselves worth the visit.

1001 ways of thinking the world, ©-Jean-Christophe Domenech-MNHN.

1001 ways of thinking the world, ©-Jean-Christophe Domenech-MNHN.

I regretted not having brought a few children with me to play even more with screens and skeletons or to admire Pascale-Marthine Tayou, and other contemporary artists suggested by Jean Hubert Martin, who is in charge of special exhibitions at the museum. But next time I go, I will definitely hire some naughty children  to play with. (closed Tuesdays, opened till 9 pm on Wednesdays)

A mamooth pursuing men

A mamooth pursuing men

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