Paris's Dapper Museum Closes Due to Funding Crisis

The Musée Dapper in Paris, a small but renowned institution dedicated to African art, announced its closure on June 18, 2017, due to lack of funds. The museum cited declining visitor numbers, rising operational costs, and intense competition from the Musée du Quai Branly, which opened in 2006 in a building designed by Jean Nouvel. The proliferation of African art exhibitions across France also contributed to the museum's struggles. Founded in 1986 with support from the Fondation Olfert Dapper, the museum was named after the 17th-century Dutch humanist who published "Description d'Afrique" in 1668. Located in the 16th arrondissement, it moved to a renovated space on rue Paul Valéry in 2000, designed by architect Alain Moatti. The museum housed a unique collection of African and Caribbean art, and hosted temporary exhibitions, music and dance performances, a library, a restaurant, and a 190-seat theater. Its final show, "Chefs-d'oeuvre d'Afrique," drew so few visitors that the museum decided to close immediately after its end. The foundation is considering relocating the collection abroad, possibly to Africa or the Caribbean, to prevent its dispersal.