BnF exhibition explores imaginary worlds through historical maps

The Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) in Paris is presenting an exhibition from March 24 to July 19, 2026, featuring extraordinary maps that blend imagination and reality. The show includes rare works such as a 1492 map attributed to Christopher Columbus depicting paradise as an island off China, the Catalan Atlas (c. 1375) by Abraham Cresques inspired by Marco Polo's travels, and a Jain cosmological painting from the late 19th–early 20th century showing the three worlds of Jain doctrine. Contemporary artists are also represented: Alighiero Boetti (1940–1994) created around 150 hand-woven world maps from 1971 onward, while Grayson Perry's 2008 'Map of Nowhere' reimagines the medieval Ebstorf map with humor. The exhibition highlights how cartography has long served as a tool for utopias, myths, and personal expression, from ancient monsters to literary maps like Tolkien's Middle-earth and George R.R. Martin's Seven Kingdoms. A concurrent show, 'Explorations. Une affaire d’État ?', takes place at the Musée de l'Armée. The exhibition is featured in Beaux Arts Magazine's May 2026 special issue on travel.