Musée du Quai Branly, popularly known as Quai Branly Museum, is a museum in France that houses innate art, culture and civilisations of Asia, Africa and the Americas. Situated close to the legendary Eiffel Tower, the museum was named after the noted physicist Edouard Branly and aimed at preserving and bringing to light some of the world’s oldest civilisations from across the globe. The living wall, which is a part of the exterior of the museum, is a stunning element that once was famed as a visual treat for the visitors is today in a not so glorious state as a result of an inadequate support system for the plants, roots and proper drainage facilities. The museum consists of exhibits of pride from the erstwhile glorious museums like Musée national des Arts d’Afrique et d’Océanie and the ethnographic department of the Musée de l’Homme.
Museums that preserve history and time through their variety of labelled and identified displays are not a rarity and can be found in every state or country that houses their very own ethnic demographic details and history. What makes Quai Branly Museum different is the amount of painstaking research that has undergone at every aspect of preserving and data tabulating of this huge knowledge pool that consists of a well-stocked library with two reading rooms and three main departments, a picture museum with photographs and historical drawings, and stunning archive collections too. Aboriginal artists from Asia and Africa represent the museum at various gatherings and introduce, expose and educate people to the lesser-known history and civilisation. The Permanent Collections in the museum comprises artefacts from all parts of the world and has over 6,000 artefacts to its credit that attracts students, scholars and curious visitors on a daily basis. The artefacts are not caged or glassed displays but become a part of the walk-through that the spectator experiences. The visitor can walk through the civilisations and cultural divides without experiencing any borders between cultures. This walk brings fluidity to the spectator and allows them to feel and grasp history without any hindrance. Apart from the visual treat of photographs and drawings, the museography introduces the visitor to various themes that include masks and art forms, musical instruments, weapons, costumes, communicating media and the likes of the aborigines.
The museum also utilises the internet and the web to educate and generate awareness among the public about the museum. The interactive programmes scheduled by the museum offers guided tours and customised education programmes for visitors across the world, making the virtual museum a reality. Guided tours, educational tours, themed walks, slide shows dedicated to music or the habitat of a particular region are all introduced in an ingenious way to offer the spectator a brilliant virtual tour. A variety of research support literature and educational activities are offered as well to enrich the experience. Art and literature students often flood the museum for a hands-on experience in surrealistic and in quest of art and beauty at a different level. Artistic impressions, interactive sessions, talks on various themes, knowing the habitat up close all present the spectator with a real-life experience that is truly unique. Workshops and seminars are conducted along with specialised programmes that are aimed at preserving the heritage intact. Different perspectives on different subjects ranging from ethical to tales bound, cinemas to stage performances, are all preserved to highlight the tolerance and merging of cultural borders among the early people of entirely different practices and religions. Globe trotters from across the world, not only archaeologists, anthropologists and palaeontologists, but mere tourist visitors, also flock to see the preserved art forms and artefacts that are housed prestigiously in the museum.
The museum is not just a visual treat or an aim to preserve timelessness. It also aims at educating and enhancing the new generation, which stays far from the cultural connotations of the ancient traditions. It is a great platform to allow the spectators to open up and get to know some of the oldest and ethnic civilisations from across the world. The interactive sessions, seminars and workshops see to it that spectators, especially students gain the most from just a walk-through which proves to be more educated with the additional promotional materials like leaflets and pamphlets that are knowledge powerhouses for the spectators. In short, at Quai Branly Museum, time is well preserved for the generations to come.