The scientists of the Louvre’s laboratory examine closely the pieces exposed in the Quai Branly Museum, which opened its doors on June 23rd, 2006. At the feet of the Louvre’s Museum is a magic and secret place, at the intersection of art and science : the research and restoration’s center of french museums. Here, the scientists scrutinize the works of art with devices which make material speak (infrareds, X-rays, particle accelerator, electron microscopes). Van Gogh, Veronese, Ingres, Rodin : all have or will proceed one day to the Louvre’s laboratory for a check up. But from time to time, we can meet some strange creatures there : a wooden dog, with an opened mouth, pierced through with nails ; a spongy and rangy statue of more than three metres high, cut in a tree fern…
These pieces come straight from the collections of the Musée de l’Homme and of the national museum of the African and Oceanian Arts which are going to join the Quai Branly Museum. Valérie Exposito filmed the scientists during their work of analysis and restoration of these thousand fabulous objects.

RIGHTS AVAILABLE : France