winter holidays in Africa, from Saturday 14 to Friday 20 February 2009

Delve into the secret of the “Recipes of the gods”: the exhibition of “fetishes” and magical objects with stories by Gabriel Kinsa, passing through the ball with the music of the balafons, departing immediately for the lands of Africa!

African ball

You are all invited to let yourselves be carried away by the rhythms of the dances and songs created by the choreographer Merlin Nyakam during a big African ball on Thursday 19 February in the foyer of the Claude Lévi-Strauss theatre. Accompanied by dancers and musicians from the La calebasse company, all you have to do is let the dance lead you!

all ages

• Thursday 19 February from 4:00 to 8:00pm 

Foyer of the Claude Lévi-Strauss theatre

workshop Magical object

The shaman, Nganga, of the Kongo people of Central Africa uses magical objects called Minksi to protect people and help to solve their problems.

Spiked with nails and blades, the magical statues are often a bit frightening, but in fact help the Nganga to banish sorcerers and punish evildoers.

Finding inspiration in the magical objects of Central Africa, children are invited to create their own magical objects.

duration: 45 minutes

children from 3 to 6 years old

• from Saturday 14 to Friday 20 February at 3:30 and 4:30 pm
• except Thursday 19 February

workshop All the sounds of Africa

An exploration of the great wealth of African music: from the popular balafons and sanzas, to less well known instruments (musical art, variable-tension drum, etc.). Discover their captivating tones for yourself.

duration: 45 minutes

families - children aged 7 and up

• from Saturday 14 to Friday 20 February at 2:30, 3:30, 4:30 and 5:30 pm
• except Thursday 19 February

guided tour with stories - Congo

Guided tour with stories of the Recipes of the gods exhibition with the storyteller Gabriel Kinsa, who recounts tales from his grandmother’s village…

duration: 1 hour

families

• Saturday 14, Sunday 15 and Wednesday 18 February at 11:30 am, 2:30 and 4:30 pm

Recipes of the gods exhibition

guided tour with dance - Africa

Guided tour with dance of the Recipes of the gods exhibition with the dancer and choreographer Lamine Keita. An exploration of the links between the objects on display in the exhibition and African dance.

duration: 1 hour

families

• Monday 16, Tuesday 17, Thursday 19 and Friday 20 February at 11:30 am and 2:30 pm 

gamebook

The Quai Branly offers a gamebook to accompany families through the Recipes of the gods exhibition, available free of charge in the reception hall and at the entrance to the exhibition.

This game-based route enables children and parents to get to know these rarely exhibited objects. A “nkisi” in the form of a dog guides the child through the exhibition and suggests games to learn more about these magical objects. At the end of the exhibition, there is a collection box for the drawings of the “fetish objects” made by young visitors which will be put online on the museum’s website.

Don’t forget your pencils!

Recipes of the gods exhibition

families

• throughout the exhibition period, from 3 February to 10 May 2009

for more information about the Recipes of the gods exhibition

conferences the museum laid bare

how to restore ritual objects?

Stéphanie Elarbi, in charge of restoration at the Quai Branly museum, demonstrates the difficulties in restoring such objects and through her analysis reveals what these magical packages hide.

Taking the form of a screening-discussion, Stéphanie Elarbi questions the audience on the origin (the secret surrounding ritual practices - how these objects are made, the materials used during offerings, and other issues) and on the ethics (can one allow everything to be revealed?), but also on the conservation and exhibition of these objects.

duration: 1h

conference for adults

• Wednesday 18 February at 5 :30 pm

cinema and Recipes of the gods exhibition

go behind the scenes of the Recipes of the gods exhibition

with Nanette Snoep, curator of the Recipes of the gods exhibition.

duration: 1 hour

all ages

• Sunday 15 February at 3:30 pm

cinema