With French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and many figures from metropolitan and New Caledonian institutions present, the exhibition “KANAK, l’Art est une Parole” was inaugurated on Monday, October 14th, 2013, the day before it opened to the public at Musée du Quai Branly in Paris.
In the morning the press had the first look at the exhibition, an outstanding display in terms of the number of objects on show – more than 300 – and their staging, which highlights specificities of Kanak culture such as orality and the cyclical nature of time.
The afternoon was given over to visits by patrons and institutional figures including a wide New Caledonian representation. ERAMET Chairman & CEO Patrick Buffet was there, as well as the members of the Groupe’s Executive Committee and representatives of its subsidiary SLN.
The day ended with the official preview, attended by French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, French Higher Education and Research Minister Geneviève Fioraso and the museum’s Chairman Stéphane Martin.
As the exhibition’s main patrons, the ERAMET Groupe and its subsidiary SLN want to foster the discovery and sharing of Kanak culture. Based in New Caledonia where SLN has mined nickel for more than 130 years, ERAMET is the only mining Groupe to involve the three provinces (North, South, Islands) in its capital and governance, enabling them to play an active role in defining the Groupe’s strategy. ERAMET and SLN also contribute to many cultural actions in New Caledonia (contribution to renovation of Nouméa maritime history museum, organisation of Nickels de l’Initiative awards, etc.).
In spring 2014, “KANAK, l’Art est une Parole” exhibition will move to New Caledonia where it will be hosted by the Tjibaou Cultural Centre in Nouméa from March 15th to June 15th. ERAMET and SLN will also act as the main sponsors.
