French Presidents, like the Kings who proceeded them, like to leave a legacy, an architectural and cultural gift to the people of Paris, and the world.

Inevitably, these nouvelle monuments are rife with controversy , revered by some, hated by others, but ultimately become a part of the Parisian landscape, appreciated by millions of visitors per year.

Francois Mitterand had a bold personal project. He was committed to the restoration/modernization and perpetuation of the Musee du Louvre, as the most glorious museum in the world. Functionally, it lacked a central entry, and his decision to hire a foreigner, I.M. Pei, to build the now famous glass pyramid, sparked furious debates regarding the alteration of the classical sanctity of the Cour Napoleon. Do you love it, do you hate it?

It certainly defines the French, as a country not only determined to preserve its past, but equally as bold as to innovate and invent its present.

Likewise, President Georges Pompidou gave us the Centre Georges Pompidou, the high-tech modern complex housing the Musee National d’Art Moderne.

What was Paris feeling while the quiet, old-world neighborhood of the Beauborg was franatically trying to cope with the coming of the monolithic structure with color-coded pipes for water, heat and electricity, climbing across the outside of the building? Outrage, disgust, disdain. Today it competes with the Musee du Louvre, for most visited museum in Paris and has become a cultural hub, paying iconic homage to man’s need for art.

If you had lived in Paris during the time the great engineer Gustave Eiffel was building his tower, you might have been protesting the monstrous invasion of the pristine Parisian landscape.

Offensive, a blight upon the horizon, cumbersome and awkward would have described “Eiffel’s Folly”. And yet, if detractors had prevailed, Paris would be lacking its single most identifiable monument, Le Tour Eiffel.

It’s unimaginable…which leads us to the latest museum to rear its, well, controversial head in the City of Light, the Musee du Quai Branly.

President Jacques Chirac’s project opened in 2006 and the jury is still out, as to its success. If success is measured by number of visitors per month, then surely, this museum is no failure. This newcomer on the museum scene has its fervent critics who decry it as a discombobulated array of objects, oddly labeled, strangely displayed, and poorly lit.

And that’s just what they say about the collection, which by the way was enhanced by the dismantling of art from the Musee de l’Homme and the Musee des Arts Africains et Oceaniens. Criticism of the structure itself is equally as harsh.

But what about the collection? Isn’t it fantastic, the whimsy, the artistry, the indigenous arts of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas, brought together in one fabulous location?

With the River Seine on one side and the 19th century Haussman-inspired architecture on the other, plus a view of the Eiffel Tower thrown in, come on, Paris, say something nice about the place.

Regarding construction, once again, public emotion was stirred up over architect Jean Nouvel’s museum design.

Is there a proscribed time frame for the waning of outraged public sentiment regarding projects such as these? There should be a limit to the whining, a declaration of cease-fire and official commencement of appreciation. Pick a date. How about declaring June 23rd, 2009 ( the third year anniversary of the opening of the museum) the beginning of universal acceptance of the Musee Quai Branly into the cultural fabric of Paris.

Come with an open mind and heart, perhaps to be creatively inspired yourself by the power and beauty of objects sublimely simple yet artistically complex.

Nothing more need be said to recommend a visit. Like a good movie spoiled by having seen the trailer where all great moments are prematurely revealed, the joy of discovery one feels at Musee Quai Branly would be diminished by knowing exactly what to expect. The brilliance of this experience lies first in the exploration of the unusual building design, which includes a fantastic outer “Living Wall”, and unique interior spaces.

Then, the delightful art of remote, so-called, primitive cultures, is revealed to be well, spectacular.
You can eat there, too.

MUSEE DU QUAI BRANLY
37, Quai Branly
7th Arrondisement
Metro: Iena or Alma-Marceau
Check website for other cultural events such as concerts at:
www.quaibranly.fr