We support museum projects from A to Z

This is a new instalment in our series dedicated to the discussions and debates held during the Symposium African Museums: Today and Tomorrow, produced by France Muséums at Louvre Abu Dhabi in January 2025. One of the roundtables on the subject of international partnerships provided a vital opportunity to discuss the dynamics redefiningcooperation in the cultural sector. How can we move beyond models inherited from the past to build partnerships that are more balanced and respectful of cultural specificities? Mehdi Qotbi is a visual artist and has been president of the Fondation nationale des Musées du Maroc (Morocco’s National Museums Foundation – FNM) since 2011. His mission is to create and develop art centres and museums that are accessible to all throughout the kingdom. With France Muséums he shares his vision of how collaboration dynamics should evolve and the role that Morocco and Africa as a whole can play on the international stage.

France Muséums had the honour to work with Louvre Abu Dhabi and produce the conference African Museums: Today and Tomorrow, held at Louvre Abu Dhabi, 28–30 January 2025. In order to extend these discussions beyond the conference, we wanted to give the floor to the speakers through a series of interviews. This first discussion welcomed El Hadji Malick Ndiaye, Head of the Museums Department and Curator of the Musée Théodore Monod d’Art Africain IFAN-CAD, in Dakar. For France Muséums, he reflected on the importance of narration in the context of museums.

Co-organised by Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, and France Muséums, the exhibition “Kings and Queens of Africa: Forms and Figures of Power” is being presented at Louvre Abu Dhabi from 29 January to 25 May 2025. France Muséums orchestrated the many facets of this undertaking, including curatorial coordination and support, exhibition production, management of the exhibition design and mediation tools, such as signage, labels, audiovisual devices, the sound accompaniment, and a children’s visit. Furthermore, France Muséums coordinated the transportation and handling of the works, organisation of the exhibition catalog, and the training courses for Louvre Abu Dhabi guides. 

Museums are evolving into vibrant hubs where community, learning, and interaction intertwine, offering enriching and dynamic experiences for all visitors. For this new Expert’s corner, Junia Jorgji, Director of Special Projects at France Muséums and formerly Chief of Design at the National Gallery of Canada, explores how design-led thinking and processes can redefine visitor experience. She highlights how architecture and design can create inclusive, flexible, and dynamic environments that foster lasting connections between museums and their audiences.

Jointly organised by the Musée d’Orsay, Louvre Abu Dhabi and France Muséums, the new international exhibition Post-Impressionism: Beyond Appearances will be held from 16 October 2024 to 9 February 2025 at Louvre Abu Dhabi.  Dealing with the Post-Impressionist era means rising to a major challenge: that of reflecting a multitude of artistic movements, which are sometimes complementary and sometimes in opposition, but which resonate with one another and whose connections or divergences must be transcribed into a coherent visitor experience.   How can exhibition design and interpretive approaches be combined to seek out a more complete visitor experience?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a trending topic across all professions and sectors—and museums are no exception.   Some cultural institutions are eager to incorporate this technology into their practices and tools, not only to enrich the visitor experience but also to support in-house professionals.  However, the implementation of AI in museums raises major operational and legal challenges.  In this new Experts’ Corner, Charlotte Clergeau, Digital Projects Officer, and Léa Karouby, Junior Legal Officer at France Muséums, present a practical case  of how AI has been applied in the recent exhibition jointly organised with Louvre Abu Dhabi, From Kalila wa Dimna to la Fontaine, Travelling Through Fables, presented at Louvre Abu Dhabi from 26 March to 21 July 2024.