Since its establishment in Paris in 1889, the Guimet National Museum of Asian Art (Musée national des Arts asiatiques-Guimet, hereinafter referred to as the Guimet Museum) has gone through nearly 150 years of development and has become the museum with the richest collection of Asian art in France and even in Europe. In November 2022, Yannick Lintz took office as the new director of the Guimet Museum in France. After taking office, she immediately clarified the vision of making the Guimet Museum a more popular cultural landmark, especially focusing on attracting young audiences and family groups.
Yannick Linz recently gave an exclusive interview to The Paper after delivering a speech titled "Re-presenting the Past: The Role of Museums" during the "M20+ Global Top Museum Conference" in Shanghai. She said that in today's rapidly changing society, museums should innovate the way the public interacts with art and demonstrate the close connection between museums and contemporary society.
Guimet National Museum of Asian Arts
The Guimet National Museum of Asian Art, founded in Lyon, France in 1879, was originally founded by French industrialist Émile Étienne Guimet and moved to Paris in 1889. After nearly 150 years of development, the museum's collection has continued to expand, becoming the museum with the richest collection of Asian art in France and even in Europe. The museum's collection of more than 60,000 pieces includes handicrafts, bronzes, weapons, daily necessities, paintings and porcelain from almost all regions of Asia.
The Guimet Museum has 4 floors, divided into exhibition halls according to regions, such as China, India, Southeast Asia, Afghanistan-Pakistan, Himalayas and Central Asia, Korea, and Japan, which are dedicated to displaying religious art and secular art of Asian countries. The largest area is the "China Exhibition Hall", which spans 2 to 4 floors. The Guimet Museum has a collection of more than 20,000 Chinese artworks, including ceramics, jade, bronze, paintings, sculptures, etc. The earliest piece can be traced back to the Neolithic Age.
Yannick Lintz speaks at the "M20+ Global Top Museum Conference" (Photo source: Shanghai Museum)
In November 2022, Yannick Linz took office as the new director of the Guimet Museum in France. She once mentioned that her first task was to transform a 20th-century museum into a 21st-century museum. After taking office, she immediately clarified her vision of making the Guimet Museum a more popular cultural landmark, with a particular focus on attracting young audiences and family groups.
She delivered a speech titled "Re-presenting the Past: The Role of Museums" at the "M20+ Global Top Museum Conference" held at the East Hall of the Shanghai Museum. During the conference, The Paper interviewed Yannick Lintz, the curator. She used the recent public art project of the Guimet Museum as an example to express her view that in the ever-changing society today, museums should innovate the way the public interacts with art and show the close connection between museums and contemporary society.
Interview｜Yannick Lintz
The Paper: "China·Tang Dynasty: A Diverse and Open Dynasty" is currently on display at the Guimet Museum in Paris. How has the exhibition received response from local audiences since its opening? This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. What kind of cooperation and exchanges have there been between the Guimet Museum and Chinese cultural institutions?
Yannick Linz: We are very happy and honored to host the exhibition "China·Tang - A Diverse and Open Dynasty". The exhibition was specially planned to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between France and China and the Cultural Tourism Year. It opened on November 18 at the Guimet National Museum of Asian Art in France. The exhibition was guided by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China and the French Ministry of Culture. It exhibited more than 200 pieces (sets) of exquisite cultural relics from 32 cultural and museum institutions in 10 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in China. Among them are extraordinary treasures from the Tang Dynasty and the latest archaeological discoveries.
On November 18, people visited the exhibition "China·Tang - A Diverse and Open Dynasty (7th to 10th Century)" at the Guimet National Museum of Asian Art in Paris, France. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Gao Jing
I am not sure whether this exhibition will be as successful as the "Ancient Egyptian Civilization Exhibition" held in Shanghai, but I am sure that the attraction and influence of this exhibition cannot be underestimated. Just yesterday (December 2), our museum received 10,000 visitors in one day, which is unprecedented, so I am very grateful to the generosity of Chinese museums for sending so many exquisite cultural relics to the Guimet Museum for exhibition.
On November 18, people visited the exhibition "China·Tang - A Diverse and Open Dynasty (7th to 10th Century)" at the Guimet National Museum of Asian Art in Paris, France. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Gao Jing
Works on display at the exhibition “Tang Dynasty, China: A Diverse and Open Dynasty (7th to 10th Century)”
2024 is of great significance to both China and France. We have long designated 2024 as the "Year of China" for the Guimet Museum, and have launched a series of related activities around the theme of China, and have also carried out cooperation in different dimensions with Chinese museums and other cultural institutions. For example, I mentioned in the keynote forum that this year, we worked with Chinese designer Jiang Qiong'er to create a giant public art on the facade of the Guimet Museum - "Guardians of Time｜Container of Time". This art project has given the classical-style architectural exterior of the Guimet Museum a symbolic "red dress". This year is the "Year of China", and we hope to present a Chinese-style facade.
The large-scale work “People and Things” on the facade of the “Container of Time” of the Guimet Museum
The Paper: In Paris, the Guimet Museum and the Cernuschi Museum are two important museums that showcase Asian art. Can you talk about the differences between the two museums?
Yannick Linz: The Guimet Museum is what we call the National Museum of Asian Art in Paris, which means that the museum is national and bears the responsibilities of a national museum. Its influence and appeal may therefore be different. The Cernuschi Museum, also located in Paris, is a city-level museum in Paris. This is the main difference between the two museums.
Guimet Museum
In terms of collection, the Guimet Museum's Asian art collection covers a wide range, covering most of Asia, from Afghanistan in West Asia and Central Asia to China, South Korea, Japan in East Asia, India in South Asia, and Southeast Asia. The Cernuschi Museum focuses on East Asian civilization, mainly art from China, Japan, Vietnam, and South Korea. Of course, in terms of building size, the Guimet Museum is larger, while the Cernuschi Museum is smaller.
The Paper: As you mentioned, the Guimet Museum’s collection of Asian art covers a wide range. How do you present the connection between Chinese art and art from other Asian countries in your exhibition?
Yannick Linz: The Guimet Museum is a museum truly dedicated to Asian art, which means that we have collections from different Asian countries and civilizations. So each hall of the museum is dedicated to one civilization. But we try to show the connections between different civilizations and reveal their common connections through exhibitions, temporary exhibitions, etc. For example, last year we held an exhibition on the theme of medicine in Asia, which brought together artworks from different countries (mainly from our collection) and showed the differences in traditions of different Asian countries, but also the common traditions. We also held an exhibition on Buddhism. For visitors who want to understand Asian civilizations, it is really important to understand the origins and development of Buddhism. Buddhism spread from India to China and to Southeast Asia. Therefore, expanding the understanding of Asian Buddhism can not only explain the differences in civilizations, but also explain the common roots of the Asian continent.
Woman playing polo, China, Tang Dynasty, ca. 750
Buddha sculpture. India. Pink sandstone. Gupta period.
Japanese Edo Period Artworks from the Guimet Museum
6 panel screen Korea
The Paper: When the Guimet Museum was first established, it focused on collecting religious art. It took more than a century of accumulation to reach its current collection scale. What is the current collection strategy of the Guimet Museum? Does it collect modern and contemporary art to continue the art history of its collection?
Yannick Linz: Our collection strategy is that we try to collect and exhibit contemporary art. There are two ways. One is to collect, which means it will be included in our collection system. We try to find the connection between contemporary artists and cultural relics in the images of important works such as ceramics, paintings, and calligraphy. We try to find the connection between the techniques of contemporary artists' paintings or sculptures and classical art and decorative art.
The "Twelve Mythical Beasts" on the facade of the Guimet Museum contrast beautifully with the Eiffel Tower in the distance. Photo: Frédéric Berthet
Another way for museums to showcase contemporary art is through temporary exhibitions or events. Just like the art project we did for the “Year of China” in May this year, we invited contemporary artist Ms. Jiang Qiong’er to create the installation project “Container of Time” on the museum and on the museum’s exterior wall, which brought a modern feel to the museum with a classical architectural style. This is another way to incorporate artists and contemporary art into the museum.
The Paper: After you take office as director of the Guimet Museum in 2022, what are your ideas for the museum's operations?
Yannick Linz: From the perspective of museums, I am also thinking about what challenges museums will face in the future? Today's world is changing rapidly, and what we need to think about is how museums can face changes and how they can develop. I hope to innovate the way the public interacts with art, so as to show the close connection between museums and contemporary society. Like the example I mentioned above, why do we need to think about the design of the building facade? Because the world we live in has high requirements for vision, and its importance is becoming increasingly prominent. The Guimet Museum needs to highlight its presence in order to become a more popular cultural landmark. Through such a public art project, Parisians or tourists can see the red facade of our museum from afar from the Eiffel Tower. For example, if you take a taxi in Paris, the taxi driver knows where the Louvre and the Orsay Museum are, but may not know where the Guimet Museum is. After we have made such a design, we can tell the driver, do you know where the Guimet Museum is? It is the building with a red exterior wall, and he will know how to take us there.
Overlooking the Guimet Museum from the Eiffel Tower (data map)
Guimet Museum Dome
In addition to the exterior, we also asked artists to turn the dome on the fourth floor of the building into a creative space related to time, echoing the passage of seasons through tea ceremonies and incense mats, Chinese music and opera, poetry recitations and gatherings. In this new space, visitors can meditate and taste tea. I hope to convey to the audience a feeling that museums are closely connected to the present, and similar initiatives can stimulate the public's curiosity about classical art museums, while revealing the relationship between contemporary culture and historical traditions. We want to change not only the appearance of this museum, but also the spirit of the museum.
The Paper: At the opening forum of the "M20+ Global Top Museum Conference" held by the Shanghai Museum, representatives of almost every museum mentioned that one of the goals of the museum is to attract more visitors. What strategies does the Guimet Museum adopt to attract different visitors from all over the world, especially the younger generation?
Yannick Linz: Attracting the younger generation of visitors is very important for museums today, and this is also my responsibility as a museum director. Museums preserve antiquities from the past, and these collections tell our common history. The present world is always connected to the past, and it is more important than ever for the younger generation to understand our new world. The Guimet Museum has a rich collection of Asian civilizations, which has enabled young European audiences to understand the importance of Asia, which occupies an important place in the world.
Guimet Museum Gift Shop
We have made different plans to attract young visitors. For example, we have launched activities that are more suitable for young visitors, so that they can see what is popular among them at the museum, such as music creators, movies and dramas. We will organize performance videos in the museum, and we will also plan a Japanese comic exhibition next year... Asian pop culture is very attractive to the younger generation, and we try to bring it into the museum. Therefore, visitors can hear pop music and see comic exhibitions in our museum, and what we try to do is to explain to them where the roots of this new culture are, because these elements are not created out of thin air, but are rooted in rich traditional culture.
The Paper: Technology and cross-border integration have become new trends in the development of museums. In order to adapt to the times, will you use more cutting-edge technologies in museum exhibitions and other aspects to enrich the audience's visiting experience?
Yannick Linz: Museums are lucky to be in an era of rapid technological development. Technology is very helpful for many museum activities. It is very important to apply new technology to museum exhibitions. We call it situational reproduction (realization) in exhibitions. When we are in a museum, it is difficult for visitors to connect the exhibits or sculptures in the display cabinets in front of them with their own culture and original sources. Even if there are text descriptions on the exhibition labels, it is difficult for the audience to understand where it comes from? When we use technology, such as screens and sounds of immersive programs, the audience can immediately understand where the cultural relics come from. A cultural relic may come from a temple, a palace or a building component, so it is an opportunity for innovation for museums.
Nowadays, museums also use technology to preserve cultural relics and to better understand the collections. We have thousands of photos and audios involving many people, and now we use artificial intelligence to make lists. Artificial intelligence can recognize photos and some people. With the help of these new technologies and new tools, the collections can be digitized and the collection lists can be made permanently.
Guimet Museum
The Paper: How do you carry out international cooperation? What exhibition plans do you have in the future?
Yannick Linz: In the future, we have cooperation with China, Cambodia and Japan. We will hold a large exhibition on bronze paintings with Cambodia at the end of April next year. We are also currently working with the National Museum of Cambodia on cultural relics protection. We are restoring the collections from the National Museum of Cambodia. The Apsara statue is called the "Mona Lisa" of Cambodia. It is the most important artwork in Cambodia and comes from a temple in the old city. When we restore cultural relics that do not belong to our own country, the responsibility is even greater. This artifact arrived in Paris a few months ago and is now being restored. Of course, we will not make any unilateral decisions on the restoration plan of the sculpture without the consent of our Cambodian counterparts. So this is actually an agreement between us and the National Museum of Cambodia. We work together to protect cultural heritage.
We will hold a comic exhibition in Japan in the second quarter of next year. In the next few years, we will also have important cooperation with China, including cooperation with the Shanghai Museum. But we have to keep it confidential for the time being.
(Unless otherwise specified, all images in this edition are from the official website of the Guimet National Museum of Asian Art)