Musée du Quai Branly celebrates 20th anniversary amid restitution debates

The Musée du Quai Branly in Paris, inaugurated on June 20, 2006, marks its 20th anniversary with a weekend of concerts, workshops, and a ball. Founded by President Jacques Chirac to promote cultural dialogue and counter ethnocentrism, the museum houses 380,000 works from Africa, Oceania, Asia, and the Americas. Despite initial controversies—including criticism from ethnologists and the Musée de l'Homme—it has attracted 25 million visitors. Notable exhibitions include 'Tatoueur, tatoué' (700,000 visitors), 'Exhibitions: l'invention du sauvage' curated by footballer Lilian Thuram, and 'Africa Fashion.' The museum is central to restitution debates: in 2021, 26 royal treasures from Abomey were returned to Benin, and in 2022, the Djidji Ayôkwé drum was repatriated to Côte d'Ivoire. A new French framework law passed in May 2026 simplifies future restitutions. Architect Jean Nouvel designed the building at a cost of €232 million. Key figures include director Angélique Delorme, anthropologist Benoît de L'Estoile, and critic Sally Price.