Project Seminar. Museums of the Ministry of the Armed Forces, the renovation of the Air and Space Museum and the National Maritime Museum: challenges and outlook
Wednesday, January 23rd: 10:00-11:30 a.m., Arcole room
Project Seminar. Museums of the Ministry of the Armed Forces, the renovation of the Air and Space Museum and the National Maritime Museum: challenges and outlook
Today’s world is experiencing unprecedented development of new museums, which have become the subject of a new cultural diplomacy. There is also a challenge in the renovation of museums whose historic buildings are exquisite showcases for the presentation of collections and the visit experience.
Article L1142 of the Defence Code states that the Minister is “responsible for the preparation and implementation of defence policy”. For its part, the Ministry of Culture’s mission is to “make the major cultural works of humanity, and primarily of France, accessible to as many people as possible” (Decree No. 2017-1077 of 24 May 2017, relating to the roles and responsibilities of the Ministry of Culture).
At first sight, these two ministries do not deal with common subjects.
And yet the Ministry of the Armed Forcesis the State’s second cultural operator. Why then, given its roles and responsibilities, is the Ministry developing a heritage and culture policy?
The short contribution by Alexis Neviaski aims to present the cultural heritage of the Ministry of the Armed Forces to explain the ministry’s use of its treasures and thus put into perspective its policy and current challenges.
Vincent Campredon, for the FrenchNational Maritime Museum,and Anne-Catherine Robert-Hauglustaine, for the Air and Space Museum, will then present their new museum projects.
These museums – two iconic examples of museums under the guardianship of the Ministry of the Armed Forces– are refreshing their exhibition design in renovated buildings to enable enhanced access to exhibits in an increasingly constrained national and international climate.
TheNational Maritime Museumis undertaking an outstanding renovation project of its Art Deco building located at the Trocadero, with a new thematic approach to collections and an innovative exhibition design to be unveiled in 2022 (click here for the full text of the paper).
TheAir and Space Museumis celebrating its centenary in 2019, with the public opening of a new exhibition of historic collections relating to the beginnings of ballooning and the First World War, in the historic air terminal built in 1937 by the architect Georges Labro.