The musical instrument tower

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Montez le son ! | Aidez-nous à restaurer les instruments de musique du musée !
Du 25 mars au 23 juin 2019, le musée lance une campagne de mécénat participatif pour la restauration de la collection d’instruments de musique. Participez sur https://fr.ulule.com/montez-le-son/, plus d'informations sur http://www.quaibranly.fr/fr/les-espaces/la-reserve-des-intruments-de-musique/. Aujourd’hui 130 instruments particulièrement vulnérables doivent être restaurés en priorité. Le musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac sollicite le grand public pour la sauvegarde de ses instruments de musique. Avec comme premier objectif de récolter 40 000 euros, l’enjeu est de prendre en charge dès l’automne 2019 les pièces les plus fragilisées dans les ateliers de restauration de l’établissement. Au-delà de la nécessité de préserver l’intégrité physique des œuvres face aux assauts du temps, cette campagne de restauration vise à redonner aux instruments leur musicalité. Montez le son ! doit permettre de faire tinter, battre, fifrer l’orchestre du monde. Un concert exceptionnel avec les instruments restaurés sera programmé en 2020 au musée.
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The musical instrument tower, designed by Jean Nouvel, is a centrepiece of the building’s architecture, like an open window to the various behind-the-scenes parts of the museum, where the musical instrument collection is housed.

The tower showcases the 10,000 instruments conserved on 6 levels, and highlights the central importance of the collection. This heritage, which reflects the diversity of different cultures and their musical practices, is not immune to the wears of time. The fragility of the materials jeopardises the durability of certain rare and precious pieces, some of which are several centuries old. Lute from West Timor, drum from Tahiti, vielle from Syria, xylophone from Bali…

A crowfunding campaign to restore the musical instrument collection

From 25 March to 23 June 2019, the musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac called on the general public to help safeguard its musical instruments. A campaign that raised over €66,000! As of autumn 2019, the most vulnerable pieces were transferred on a priority basis to the museum’s workshops for restoration. 130 particularly fragile instruments are currently undergoing restoration.

Beyond the need to preserve the physical integrity of the works from the onslaughts of time, this restoration campaign aims to return the instruments’ musicality. Turn up the volume! will provide an opportunity to hear this world orchestra chime, beat and pipe. An exceptional concert played on the restored instruments will be scheduled at the museum in 2021.

This restoration campaign is also supported by Crédit Agricole d'Ile-de-France Mécénat, the Orange Foundation, the Fondation Gandur pour l'Art and the Fondation François Sommer.

The entire patronage team at the musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac would like to extend its warmest thanks for your commitment and your many messages of support.

Remodelling works from April 2019 to early 2020

Major works have been undertaken to improve the conditions under which the works are conserved and handled. A vast restoration programme concerning around one hundred works was also undertaken during the same period.

Le projet en chiffres

The improvements

The works were launched following studies carried out by the museum’s Conservation-Restoration Centre and Collections Management team. The aim was to improve the conservation conditions of the works on the one hand (reduced fire risk, anti-dust measures, improved climatic conditions), and to improve the conditions for handling the pieces on the other hand (improved flow, adapted lighting, redesign of work stations, etc.).

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