Dans la peau d'un soldat: 3000 years of soldiering at Musée de l'Armée

The exhibition 'Dans la peau d'un soldat' at the Musée de l'Armée in Paris presents over 300 objects tracing the life of soldiers from Ancient Rome to the future. Twenty mannequins dressed in period uniforms, from a Roman legionary to a future combatant with augmented reality devices, are displayed with their equipment. The show covers daily routines unchanged for 3000 years: wake, hygiene, dressing, assembly, march, gear, ammunition, weather protection, rations, psycho-physical endurance, logistics, communications, technology, superstition, protection, camouflage, combat, medical care, and death. A dark empty passage with the sound of a racing heartbeat precedes the death section. Photographer Édouad Elias, kidnapped and released in 2014 during the Syrian conflict, contributes works and the exhibition poster. The review contrasts the show's quality with similar exhibitions in London or Washington and criticizes Italian institutions for ignoring current military engagements—Italy is involved in nearly thirty missions in over twenty countries with a 2016 expenditure of 826 million euros, soon deploying to Niger alongside US, UK, and French forces. The exhibition runs until January 28, 2018.