Vue de l'exposition "Fleuve Congo"
22 Jun 2010 03 Oct 2010

Congo River

Arts of Central Africa

This summer, the musée du quai Branly will showcase 170 major works and eighty documents as part of an important exhibition devoted to the artistic traditions of Central Africa, namely Gabon, the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

About the exhibition

A true initiation trip that will take the visitor from the forests in the north to the savannahs in the south, the exhibition highlights the existing links between the works produced by various Bantu-speaking communities living in the areas lying on the banks of the majestic Congo River.

Through the various masks and Fang, Hemba, Kwele or Kota sculptures, the exhibition draws attention to the conception, structure and the artistic links that bring together Central Africa's major works.

The exhibition's three complementary themes are based on a set of basic common principles to these iconophilic peoples:

  -   the "heart shaped" facial masks and statues that ensure the unity and identity of the respective groups;
  -   the importance of the founding ancestor and the eminent members of his lineage;
  -   the representation of women in the savannah kingdoms. The women notably balance men's authority of men and are linked to the mystery of the earth's regeneration, to agriculture and to human life..

  • Exhibition curator

    • François Neyt

    Scientific advisor

    • Angèle Martin
  • Place:   Mezzanine est
  • TimeSlots:  
    From Tuesday 22 June 2010 at Sunday 03 October 2010
  • Closed on monday
    Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday:  10:30 am-07:00 pm
    Thursday:  10:30 am-10:00 pm
  • Public:   All publics
  • Categorie : Exhibitions