Préserver pour transmettre - Les coulisses de la conservation des collections

With Preserving for the Future, the musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac presents an exhibition exploring the hands-on work and decisions involved in caring for its collections. Objects shown before and after treatment, examples of deterioration and scientific images reveal processes usually carried out away from the public galleries.

Identifying a material, preventing its deterioration or deciding whether to restore an object raises questions that go beyond technical considerations alone. The exhibition follows the work of the museum’s Conservation, Restoration and Analysis Department, from assessing an object’s condition to recognising the limits of treatment when deterioration is too advanced.

Discussions with communities of origin help shape these decisions. An object’s spiritual, ritual or social significance can influence how it is protected, studied or treated. The exhibition thus connects the scientific tools of conservation with the responsibilities involved in passing on cultural heritage.

Practical information
- Atelier Martine Aublet.
- Tuesday to Sunday, 10:30 am to 7 pm; until 10 pm on Thursdays.
- Open on Mondays during short school holidays, for all French school holiday zones.
- Closed on 1 May and 25 December.
- Closes at 6 pm on 24 and 31 December.
- Free admission on the first Sunday of each month.