We saw: the “Magic” exhibition at the Musée des Confluences

Rituals, superstition, magic or sorcery, the Musée des Confluences takes us on board until March 2023 for an initiatory journey to the heart of the foundations of our beliefs.

A little overview of magical practices in the world and through the ages, anyone? So let’s go !

© Laurent Coppola

Greeted at the entrance by a wolf that seems to howl on a full moon night, I venture beyond the heavy red velvet curtains. I walk slowly, my eyes gradually getting used to the studied darkness… The trees of a mysterious forest stand on either side of the central aisle. A luminous pentacle, symbolizing the five elements (fire, air, water, earth and spirit), as if embedded in the ground announces that we are in magical territory. summon invisible forces to influence the course of things.

Witchcraft and ancestral beliefs

And here we are in the blink of an eye in the room of “natural magic” where an enigmatic tree is enthroned… Rue Fétide, datura, fly agaric, plants are exhibited there with their magical or therapeutic properties. Surrounding the wooded islet, the healing stones are exposed there as well as the virtues assigned to them.

From witches’ potions, to shamanic incantations, via spiritualism and other conjuring tricks, the exhibition shows archaeological and ethnographic pieces as so many accessories dedicated to the art of divination, the occult sciences and the practice of Magic. There we marvel at a grimoire, we observe a protective amulet, we detail a statuette studded with nails or we let ourselves be hypnotized by the changing reflections of a crystal ball…

Esoteric World Tour

After a world tour of magical practices, from sorcerers in Benin to Nepalese shamans and healers in France, We understand throughout the exhibition how ancient beliefs were the breeding ground for the first practices of magic but above all how they made it possible to justify natural phenomena still unknown at the time.

In the next space, we come face to face with an astonishing sorcerer’s bestiary where pangolin, bat, panther, toad and other boa constrictor are exhibited… A whole gallery of animals often feared or venerated for their evil or protective powers is hidden in magic forest trees.

I don’t know if this exhibition will allow you to cure your ugly herpes, or even if it will allow you to ensure the return of your loved one, or to bewitch the ignoble Robert.a who sent you away.but before leaving the premises, make a wish anyway on the wishing tree, inspired by Japanese tradition… On a misunderstanding, it can work!

Verdict…

Personally, I found the scenography very successful, inviting us to penetrate the mysteries of the mysterious universe of magic to better help us to unlock its secrets.. This world tour of magical practices is very instructive, but with nearly 400 exhibits, almost as many labels to read, the exhibition lacks a bit of interactivity. Fortunately the wishing tree at the end saves the day.

Magic at the Musée des Confluences

📅 Until March 5, 2023. Monday to Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Late night until 10 p.m. on the 1^er Thursday of the month
💰 6€ / 9€ / Free for minors and beneficiaries of social minima
👉 More information