major international exhibitions in the Garden Gallery

The 2,000 sq. m. Garden Gallery is home to treasures from around the world during exhibitions focused on both traditional cultures and contemporary art. To ensure that both the Spring and Autumn exhibitions offer something new and exciting for the visitor, the museum creates an entirely different atmosphere and display on every occasion.

special theme exhibitions in the East Mezzanine

The special theme exhibitions draw upon the sheer richness and diversity of the museum’s Collections, presenting these based on a specific theme. The museum owns close to 300,000 items and 700,000 photographs, prints and ancient books.

anthropology exhibitions in the West Mezzanine

An exclusive creation of the museum, this area hosts long-term experimental exhibitions devoted to major themes forming the basis of relationships between people, and which encourage the visitor to think about universal concepts such as creating, believing, initiating, growing, conquering…

Photoquai, the Biennial festival of non-Western Contemporary Photography

Photoquai is a major international biennial event dedicated to contemporary photography. Its goal is to introduce the public (whether amateurs, collectors or professionals) to new talents from around the world. Each event features a special guest country and presents around 50 artists from all around the world. This event takes place outside the museum on the banks of the Seine river, in the garden and within the museum’s exhibition spaces. Photoquai is also featured in numerous participating partner institutions.

The opening of the Pavillon des sessions at the Louvre in 2000 followed by the inauguration of the musée du quai Branly six years later were both major turning points in the manner in which the West views the arts and civilisations of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. To continue exploring the full historical depth of the cultures presented, the huge range of meanings attached to the various items and the quality of the proposed museographical features, the museum has made it a priority to constantly improve its Collections.

We are keen to give Patrons and Sponsors a major role to play in safeguarding and enhancing this impressive heritage by giving them the chance to contribute to the acquisition or restoration of these items which, selected by some of the greatest experts, are truly remarkable for both their scientific and artistic values. The acquired works of art become part of our permanent Collections in addition to further improving the quality of our temporary exhibitions. They are also the focus of publications and research work. The various projects involve budgets from a few thousand Euros up to several millions. Funding from corporate Patrons is regularly needed for items classified as “National Treasures” or “Works of major public interest”.

The museum reserves a permanent and visible space to contemporary art at the core of its programming. This determination is demonstrated through the Photoquai biennial event, but also through artists in residence programs, the art project on the museum’s ramp. These projects offer many occasions to discover artists’ work which put in perspective several perceptions of the world as it is.

As a benchmark for non-European arts in France, the museum is involved in cooperation projects with numerous partners throughout the world. Most of the museum’s temporary exhibitions are meant to be exported in not only other Western countries’ museums, but also and particularly in the museums located in the Collection’s originating country.

From the very beginning, the museum has made a firm commitment to welcoming disabled visitors, and has fully incorporated this goal into its architectural design. The museum is keen to go even further by diversifying its services. New projects should be launched as for instance the installation of magnetic loop systems for the hearing impaired, the introduction of a tactile model of the museum, improvement of the visitor routes with the aid of specially adapted documents or the development of various mediation tools.

The virtual library project means the scanning of the corpus of texts establishing the very foundations of ethnology. From an international viewpoint, this involves bringing together texts in English, German, French, and several other languages, and to make these texts available on the museum’s website.

The museum is fully committed to supporting professionals and volunteers working to boost social cohesion and to promote equal access to culture for everyone.

It has formed close, long-term relationships with its various partners (including the federation of social centres for the city of Paris,detention centres and local associations), in order to organise projects perfectly matching the needs and wishes of people who are vulnerable,experiencing situations of extreme precariousness, disadvantaged or in the process of social integration.

It works with a number of associations, in particular by providing training for specialised tutors who teach small groups about the museum’s Collections. It also carries out off-site activities, including visits by lecturers or storytellers to detention centres.

These welfare and community-minded activities firmly aimed at a section of the public often left behind when cultural activities are concerned are central to the museum’s role and the values it defends including openness, dialogue and mutual respect.