Peru in Paris: A Blockbuster Machu Picchu Exhibit at the Cité de l’Architecture

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Peru in Paris: A Blockbuster Machu Picchu Exhibit at the Cité de l’Architecture
A few years ago a King Tut exhibition took Paris by storm. “Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh”, which was held at La Villette in 2019, broke audience attendance records. With 150 authentic artifacts from King Tut’s tomb, including 60 that had never before traveled outside of Egypt, the blockbuster exhibit utilized multimedia complements to create an immersive visitor experience. Now the same team (World Heritage Exhibitions) is back in Paris with an exploration of another great civilization: Peru. Open seven days a week, “Machu Picchu and the Treasures of Peru” is taking place at the Cité de l’Architecture et du patrimoine, one of our favorite museums in Paris, housed inside the Palais de Chaillot at the Trocadéro. On display are 190 original masterpieces highlighting the universe of the Incas, never before assembled together. Some of the pieces have never before left Peru, and the gold collection is one of the most impressive collections ever exhibited. You’ll see a dazzling headdress, funerary mask, silver crown, and gorgeous pieces in gold. Details of a ceremonial bowl in gold and silver. culture Chimu, 1100 – 1470 apr. J.-C., or et argent, côte nord. Photo credit: © Musée Larco, Lima-Pérou The staging of the exhibit was created to immerse the visitor in 3000 years of the great Andean civilization which would eventually produce the society of the Incas. In this age when the climate crisis threatens the very existence of humanity, the exhibit is a showcase of how a society worked with the environment, adapted collectively to droughts and other natural crises, and fine-tuned sustainability, resulting in a world view exalting the force of nature and Pachamama. Masque funéraire représentant le visage d’Ai Apaec, culture Mochica, 100 – 800 apr. J.-C., cuivre et coquillage de Strombus, Côte Nord. Photo credit: © Musée Larco, Lima-Pérou)
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Lead photo credit : Coiffe frontale avec plumes metalliques. © World Heritage Exhibitions

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