Questioning the very essence of a museum: why acquire works and who to display them to? What roadmap to follow? What role should it play in the sphere of national collections? These are the questions addressed by the exhibition 20 Years of Collection Enrichment. Seen through the lens of a dozen curators and professionals in the museum world, interspersed with a selection of around 500 works, this exhibition retraces an acquisition policy for the first time and takes visitors behind the scenes.

Since the creation of the Public Establishment status of the musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in 1998, more than 78,000 historic and contemporary pieces (graphic and photographic objects and works) have been added to the public collections, including major works and pieces that supplement an ensemble or that hold great historic significance. Carefully chosen acquisitions adding to a heritage spanning almost four centuries, bringing together the collections of the musée de l’Homme and the musée national des Arts d’Afrique et d’Océanie (MNAAO), guaranteeing a new perspective and renewed understanding for the non-European collections.