At this point, we pause to consider the notion of mixed descent, of métissage, which is a very topical subject, by showing the reader a series of common opposites, thereby challenging the West’s marked taste for dualism: classic/ethnic, antique/classical, primitive/first, folklore/colonial, exotic/typical...
The exhibition and this publication open with questions that are linked to the idea of métissage and develops, with almost no transition, to an exploration of memories. Logically, these elements encourage us to think about the way métis objects have been ‘fashioned’ when their contours are often difficult to define. They could be defined as the expression of human creativity that arises at the confluence of the European worlds and the societies of Asia, Africa and America. They are located at the heart of a planetary history which has been unfolding since the 15th century until today.
After a few stages, which will reveal a number of little known artworks, the exhibitions concludes with an encounter with the imaginary métis of today, notably via the cinematic productions of Asia and Hollywood.
Description
224 pages • 24 x 26 cm • 19,30 €
Co-published by musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac / Actes Sud 2008
ISBN: 9782742773442