le Musee quai-Branly

We went with Marc's parents to see the Musee quai-Branly -- it's a museum that opened less than a year ago and it is within walking distance from our apartment.

I love text and lettering of all kinds, so of course I really loved the way they used text on the windows (and of course the shadows it cast on the sidewalks!).


The exterior walls of the museum that are not glass are vertical plantings! It looks amazing. We saw a guy out there doing a little garden maintenance -- I wonder if they do that every day?


Sadly, you're not allowed to take photos inside the museum. It is so well-designed, I would love to be able to document it. As you walk up darkened ramps to reach the exhibit space, words, photos, and films are projected onto the floor and walls. The kids loved walking over moving pictures of water and Polynesian dancers!

The center of the museum contains a round, glass-enclosed space with enormous shelving units that are piled high with stacks of artifacts: instruments, weapons, etc. The sheer number of items is truly impressive.

I didn't think I was all that interested in artifacts from Africa, the South Pacific, Asia, etc. but I found the exhibit extremely interesting. I love seeing how people from so many different cultures and time periods were driven to create. Using whatever materials they had -- wood, coconut husks, stone, shells, metals, even mud -- they made objects of beauty and ceremony. From masks to clothing to jewelry and weaponry, a vast array.

Is there a primordial urge in the human race to create? Based on what I've seen, I am thinking yes. If so, I guess I have more in common with ancient peoples than I thought!