Musée Guimet - Guimet research plan 2026-2030

Guimet research plan 2026 2030 5

Introduction

to the Research

Plan

Founded in 1889 , the Musée Guimet placed research at the heart of its mission

from the very beginning . In this spirit , its founder , Émile Guimet , established within

the same building a museum , a library , and a lecture hall , intended for a wide

audience of scholars and enthusiasts , with the goal of promoting cultural

dissemination . For him , the museum , the library , free public lectures , and both

scholarly and popular publications — addressed to the general public as well as to

foreign researchers — formed an inseparable whole . This approach remains at the

core of the museum ’ s identity today .

Thanks to the expeditions of Victor Collin de Plancy and Charles Varat ( Korea ) ,

as well as the donations of Gustave Dumoutier ( Vietnam ) , Étienne Aymonier

( Cambodia ) , Jacques Bacot ( Tibet ) , and many others , the museum ’ s collections

expanded considerably in its early years . They often benefited directly from

discoveries made during f ield research .

In the 1920s , under the leadership of Joseph Hackin , the Musée Guimet took a major

turn by dedicating itself to the ancient arts of Asia . Many key f igures in Oriental

research have marked the museum ’ s history , including several curators who spent

most of their careers within the institution and opened new f ields in the history

of Asian art . One may think , for example , of Philippe Stern ’ s pioneering work on

the arts of India , Khmer art , and the art of Champa , or of the research carried out by

Madeleine David and Daisy Lion - Goldschmidt on Chinese and Japanese ceramics .

In the f ield of international collaborations , Jean - Paul Desroches contributed to the

growth of temporary exhibitions ( China , the Philippines , Portugal … ) , Jean - François

Jarrige advanced studies on the Indus civilization , and Jacques Giès furthered

research on the arts of Chinese Central Asia This tradition continues to this day

conf irming research as a fundamental mission of the institution

These studies produced and directed by curators in charge of the museum s

various collections long ref lected more the individual activity of the institution s

specialists than a truly coordinated research policy within a national establishment

As museums are now called to fully engage with global scientif ic dynamics and

structured partnerships formalizing a research plan for the Musée Guimet had

become a necessity

This f irst document conceived as both a strategic vision and an operational tool

marks a decisive step It expresses a central ambition of the project led by the

President since November 2022 to place research at the very heart of institutional

policy

This ambition takes shape with the creation of the Villa Guimet

an international

research center to be located on Avenue d Iéna in the Hôtel Heidelbach

This welcoming and working space will embody our vision a museum

rooted in its collections yet fully engaged in contemporary scientif ic debates

1 The creation of the Villa Guimet was

approved and unanimously by Board of

Directors on December 10 2024 and

implement on March 1 2025

As an innovative center for research on Asian arts in France and abroad , the Villa

Guimet will implement its program over a f ive - year period ( 2026 – 2030 ) , carried

forward by the museum ’ s scientif ic team . It will be built upon — and around — the

collections and the vast documentary and archival resources that constitute both

the raison d ’ être and the exceptional wealth of the museum .

The Musée Guimet ’ s research plan is based on two complementary priorities .

The f irst is the development of innovative research themes in the f ield of Asian arts ,

focusing on the materiality of works , the contextualization of their creation , the

history of the collections — particularly their provenance — and f inally on the mutual

perceptions of Asia in Europe and of Europe in Asia , including an analysis of the

evolution of museographic discourses and narratives .

The second priority focuses on strengthening research resources through

an active digitization policy , notably of the rich archive holdings of one million items

and the collection of 700 , 000 photographs on various media . It also aims to expand

access to the library ’ s collections both online and for on - site consultation within

the inspiring setting of the Villa Guimet . This resource strategy also takes shape

in a major project to make the collections more accessible and available online ,

on the one hand , and in the organization of hosting researchers in this privileged

location in the heart of Paris , on the other .

This plan thus sets out the challenges and ambitions for research that the

institution wishes to develop , as well as the resources that will need to be devoted

to it . It enables our administrators , supervisory bodies , and partners in France and

abroad to contribute to this ambitious project founded on scientif ic excellence

and the sharing of knowledge It will also help to convince potential patrons eager

to support the Guimet Museum s in its position as a central player in international

research on Asian art

Introduction