The public sphere as wilderness: Le Musée du quai Branly

Abstract

This article has the dual purpose of first describing the Musée du quai Branly and secondly critically evaluating its espoused intentions, its reception and its potential disciplinary, political and museological implications. The first part of the essay is approached through the analysis of a selection of newspaper reviews, and a comparison between these and institutionally sanctioned views of the Museum as expressed by some of its principal functionaries and instigators. The essay concludes by discussing whether the function and organization of the museum as a public space significantly differs from earlier projects undertaken on the eve of the 21st century. © 2009 by the American Anthropological Association. All rights reserved.