Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Museum of the Arab World Institute was conceived in 1982 as a museum of Arab-Muslim art and civilization, structured around three axes: the birth of Islam, a presentation of Islamic art (from Spain to India), and an ethnographic approach to the Arab world, complemented by a section on contemporary creation. At its inauguration in November 1987, its collections were mainly based on deposits of works from French national collections, supplemented by acquisitions to anticipate their restitution, effective in 1991. The funds were enriched by donations, such as Marcel Destombes's in 1986 (astronomical instruments), and bequests, bringing today the set to 620 pieces or lots, covering ceramics, manuscripts, jewellery, and scientific objects.

The sequence dedicated to Arab society, planned on one of the five levels, was never finalized due to lack of credits, despite the creation of a fund of 335 pieces between 1983 and 1998 (95 per cent government donations, including everyday objects, trimmings, and musical instruments). The contemporary art collection, original from the opening, brings together 460 works (paintings, sculptures, photographs) representing Arab trends since the 1920s, with 115 donations. These acquisitions were intended to illustrate the dialogue between East and West, Africa and Asia.

In 2008, the museum was redesigned to focus on the Arab world, from its origins to the present day, requiring external loans. The award of the label "Musée de France" in 2011 allowed the deposit of works from the Louvre, the Quai Branly, and other French or foreign institutions (such as the museums of Riyadh, Damascus, or Tunis). Since its reopening in February 2012, the four-level thematic course explores five themes: identity, spirituality, urban life, beauty, and body representation, combining archaeology, Islamic art, ethnography and contemporary creation.

The building, an architectural symbol of the West-East dialogue, was designed by Jean Nouvel and Architecture Studio (Martin Robain, Rodo Tisnado, Jean-François Bonne, Jean-François Galmiche), Gilbert Lèzenes and Pierre Soria. Its mucharabieh façade, inspired by Arab motifs, integrates into Parisian urban planning while marking a break with the nearby university complex of Jussieu. The museum is distinguished by its innovative museumography, looking at rarely associated works, and by its mission of deconstruction of prejudices about the cultural diversity of the Arab world.

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