The Quai Branly in Paris is a museum that makes no apologies for its aesthetic presentation of non-western cultures. There is nothing wrong with that in itself. And to some extent it works.
But given the history of western and non-western relations coupled with the fact that the stories behind the objects are likely to be just as beguiling as the artefact themselves, a narrative is deserved.
Despite this the huge museum is impressive and has met with applause from Parisiennes and others from all walks of life.
There are three temporary exhibition spaces at the museum. The largest, the Garden Gallery, is a colossal 2,000 sq metres. Currently on display is the Jazz Century, an exhibition exploring the origins of the music and its various forms throughout the 20th century.
It is a rich exposure of the art of jazz, told through original record sleeves, art works with jazz references, photography, film, literature, comics and cartoons.
The curator, Daniel Soutif, a jazz enthusiast, philosophy professor and art critic has amassed, over the course of three years, some breathtaking pieces. These include the Jeff Wall photograph Invisible Man inspired by writer Ralph Ellison, a Le Corbusier drawing of Josephine Baker and numerous album covers.
Today's jazz heads will most certainly be wowed. But the exhibition loses something because of the reliance on the art alone.
There is little interpretation in a space that could take you a whole day or even longer to digest. I was fortunate to be accompanied in part by Soutif, whose knowledge and passion was resounding.
In one of the booths was a clip showing the filming of a famous book The Sweet Flypaper of Life by Langston Hughes. Blown up, the visual employs a page-turning device so the visitor can stand and read the whole book if they wish.
The book includes photos by Roy DeCarava who, Soutif informed me, was the first African American to exhibit at the Guggenheim. Soutif's explanation added to the whole experience. It was the kind of narrative needed throughout the exhibition.
But given the history of western and non-western relations coupled with the fact that the stories behind the objects are likely to be just as beguiling as the artefact themselves, a narrative is deserved.
Despite this the huge museum is impressive and has met with applause from Parisiennes and others from all walks of life.
There are three temporary exhibition spaces at the museum. The largest, the Garden Gallery, is a colossal 2,000 sq metres. Currently on display is the Jazz Century, an exhibition exploring the origins of the music and its various forms throughout the 20th century.
It is a rich exposure of the art of jazz, told through original record sleeves, art works with jazz references, photography, film, literature, comics and cartoons.
The curator, Daniel Soutif, a jazz enthusiast, philosophy professor and art critic has amassed, over the course of three years, some breathtaking pieces. These include the Jeff Wall photograph Invisible Man inspired by writer Ralph Ellison, a Le Corbusier drawing of Josephine Baker and numerous album covers.
Today's jazz heads will most certainly be wowed. But the exhibition loses something because of the reliance on the art alone.
There is little interpretation in a space that could take you a whole day or even longer to digest. I was fortunate to be accompanied in part by Soutif, whose knowledge and passion was resounding.
In one of the booths was a clip showing the filming of a famous book The Sweet Flypaper of Life by Langston Hughes. Blown up, the visual employs a page-turning device so the visitor can stand and read the whole book if they wish.
The book includes photos by Roy DeCarava who, Soutif informed me, was the first African American to exhibit at the Guggenheim. Soutif's explanation added to the whole experience. It was the kind of narrative needed throughout the exhibition.
