Opening Conference of the Exhibition “L’Écologie des choses” - Maison de la culture du Japon à Paris 🗣️
This conference is organized to mark the opening of the exhibition “L’Écologie des choses – Regards sur les artistes japonais et leurs environnements de 1970 à nos jours”.
The three curators will present the highlights of the exhibition, followed by an analysis of the works of Hiroshi Yoshimura by Ms. Saki Nagato, Director of the Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura & Hayama in Kanagawa. The presentation will conclude with talks by Hideki Umezawa, Shingo Yoshida, and Keita Mori, three of the featured artists.
A visit to the exhibition following the conference will allow guests to better understand the curators’ intentions and deepen their appreciation of the works, enriching the overall experience.
Speakers: Muriel Enjalran (Director of Frac Sud – Cité de l’art contemporain), Alexandre Quoi (Deputy Director and Head of Scientific Department, MAMC+ Saint-Étienne Métropole), Élodie Royer (Independent curator and researcher, PhD candidate SACRe–ENS Ulm), Saki Nagato (Director, Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura & Hayama), Hideki Umezawa, Keita Mori, and Shingo Yoshida.
🗓️ Tuesday 29th April, 6:00 p.m.
📍 Maison de la culture du Japon à Paris (101 bis Quai Jacques Chirac, 75015 Paris)
Performance “Tap into the Light” – Maison de la culture du Japon à Paris 💃🏼
SAMG members are invited to attend one of two showings of the performance “Tap into the Light”, featuring the first Asian artist to receive a Bessie Award in New York. Kazunori Kumagai is an exceptional tap dancer who divides his time between the United States and Japan. He will present a solo as well as a trio performance with double bassist Alex Blake and pianist Toru Dodo. Expect technical virtuosity, explosive energy, and boundless creativity.
Born in Sendai, northern Japan, Kazunori Kumagai discovered tap dance at the age of 15. Four years later, he moved to New York to further train, notably with Ted Levy and Gregory Hines, and went on to perform in many of the city’s clubs. Upon returning to Japan in 2002, he opened his own tap studio while continuing to perform in jazz venues. His collaboration with the great jazz trumpeter Terumasa Hino truly launched his career in Japan. A remarkable improviser, he later performed with exceptional musicians including pianists Yosuke Yamashita, Omar Sosa, and Hiromi Uehara. He also performed solo at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
🗓️ Friday, April 25, 2025, 8:00 p.m. | Saturday, April 26, 2025, 4:00 p.m.
📍 Maison de la culture du Japon à Paris (101 bis Quai Jacques Chirac, 75015 Paris)
Private Visit – Musée national de Céramique: the exhibition “Merveilles !” 🏛️
We are delighted to announce a private visit to the exhibition “Merveilles !” at Sèvres, musée national de Céramique. Ms. Delphine Miroudot, heritage curator in charge of extra-European ceramic collections, will lead this visit for 20 of our SAMG members.
Extravagant, virtuosic, or unusual, more than five hundred objects brought out from the reserves tell the story of this unique museum in ten surprising scenes. The exhibition transforms the museum into an ideal cabinet of curiosities. A festive and creative program accompanies this journey through ceramics: exotic, dreamlike, and poetic. Among the objects on display, Asia — either directly represented or imagined — will be a special focus of commentary.
🗓️ Friday, April 25, 2025, 2:30 p.m.
📍 Sèvres, musée national de Céramique (2 Place de la Manufacture, 92310, Sèvres)
Private Visit to the Studio Frank Horvat for SAMG Members 📸
When one mentions Frank Horvat, an iconic image immediately comes to mind: Givenchy Hat B, Jardin des Modes, Paris, 1958. That chic and ironic scene at the Longchamp racetrack became so emblematic, it even wearied its author. Yet, this iconic photograph represents only a fragment of the work of a much broader and more singular artist.
A tireless and unclassifiable photographer, driven above all by a passion for the image and its possibilities, Frank Horvat journeyed through the 20th century exploring the many facets of photography: from humanist reportage to digital experimentation, from fashion to visual literature. Influenced by Henri Cartier-Bresson, curious about the world and its techniques, he constantly questioned his art through travels, personal projects, and exchanges with his peers.
We are pleased to offer our friends at Guimet a private visit to the Studio Frank Horvat. A unique opportunity to better understand this free and bold figure through works from his personal collection — nearly 500 prints by major artists, handpicked by him — as well as his own photographs, including Side Walk, his final work dedicated to New York in color.
🗓️ Wednesday, April 23, 2025, 2:30 p.m.
📍 Studio Frank Horvat (5 Rue de l'Ancienne Mairie, 92100, Boulogne-Billancourt)
Conference on the book “Le Très Grand Jeu - Pékin face à l'Asie centrale” – Emanuel Picot 🗣️
The strategic importance of central Asia has always been well understood. Following the British and the Russian empires’ competition for its control, the Soviets and the Americans then disputed to apply their influence there. This grand treasure is now finds itself fixed firmly in the lenses of China, Turkey, Iran, India, and Pakistan.
In his book “Le Très Grand Jeu : Pékin Face à l’Asie Centrale”, Emanuel Licot investigates the regions past to decipher today’s conflicts.
It is therefore with great pleasure that we invite you to a conference on the subject by Mr. Licot himself, where he will help us to understand the complexities and power struggles of Central Asia in the 21st century.
🗓️ Friday, April 18, 2025, 2:30 p.m.
📍 Salon Pelliot de l’Hôtel Heidelbach (19 avenue d’Iéna, 75116, Paris)
Private Visit for the Friends of the Musée Guimet: Marc Riboud’s Exhibition on Vietnam (1966-1976)
To mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, the Amis de Marc Riboud association and the Musée Guimet (which houses the archive of the great French photographer) joined forces to present an exclusive exhibition on Monday, March 24, 2025. Through photographs and archival documents, discover Marc Riboud’s unique perspective on Vietnam between 1966 and 1976 at the Musée Guimet.
We thank Lorène Durret for this exceptional private visit for the Friends of the Musée Guimet. It was a fascinating experience, bringing the images to life and revealing the stories behind each face.
2025 CONFERENCES
Wednesday, February 12th, 2:30PM, Salon Pelliot of the Hôtel Heidelbach, conference hosted by Vincent Durand-Dastès « Voyageurs des enfers. Figures de l'histoire et de la légende dans les peintures des Dix rois du monde des ténèbres chinois »
Lundi 27 janvier, 14h30, Auditorium du musée Guimet : conférence sur l’ouvrage « Les Arts Moghols » avec Corinne Lefevre, chargée de recherche au CNRS, membre du Centre d'études sud-asiatiques et himalayennes, historienne et spécialiste de I'Inde musulmane précoloniale et Jean-Baptiste Clais, conservateur au musée du Louvre et responsable des collections asiatiques et de la porcelaine européenne au département des Objets d'art. Suivie d’une séance de dédicace à la boutique du musée Guimet.
2025 PRIVATE VISITS
JANUARY
Wednesday, January 8th, 11:30PM, Maison de la culyure du Japon à Paros: private visit of the exhibition « Tokyo, naissance d’une ville moderne »(19 spots)
Monday, January 13th, 2PM, Guimet Museum: private visit of the exhibition «Tang China: A cosmopolitan dynasty (7th -10th century)» (19 spots)
Monday, January 20th, 11AM, Guimet Museum: private visit of the exhibition «Tang China: A cosmopolitan dynasty (7th -10th century)» (19 spots)
Tuesday, January 21st, 10:30AM, Sèvres, national museum of ceramic: private visit of the exhibition « Merveilles ! » (20 spots)
Wednesday, January 22nd, 2PM, Quai Branly Museum: private visit of the exhibition «Wayang Kulit: Théâtre d’ombres de Java et Bali »(20 spots)
Thursday, January 23rd, 5:30P, National Library of France ( site François Mitterrand, salle 70 ): off-site conference « Voyage extraordinaire en Asie (les traductions littéraires de Jules Verne au Japon, en Chine et au Vietnam »(20 spots)
2024 CONFERENCES
Friday, December 13th, 14:30, Salon Pelliot of the Hôtel Heidelbach, conference hosted by Manuela Moscatiello, responsible for the post-1800 decorative arts collections at the Petit Palais, Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris, on her latest work "The Refinement of Kyoto: Prints and Paintings by Katô Teruhide."
Monday, December 9th, 14:30, Salon Pelliot of the Hôtel Heidelbach: conference hosted by Nicolas Engel, curator of the Afghanistan-Pakistan collections at the Guimet Museum
Wednesday, November 27th, 2:30 PM, Salon Pelliot de l’Hôtel Heidelbach: conference hosted by Sandrine Zerbib on the book « Dragon tactics : Les tactiques des entrepreneurs chinois pour mieux diriger dans l'incertitude », followed by a book signing session.
Thursday, November 21st, 3PM, Salon Pelliot at Hôtel Heidelbach: literature discussion hosted by Philippe Charlier on the book “La Dame du Jeu d’Échecs” followed by a book signing session.
Friday, October 25th, Salon Pelliot at Hôtel Heidelbach: conference hosted by Faith Beasley on the book Versailles à la Rencontre du Taj Mahal: Conversations éclairées sur l'Inde au temps du Roi-Soleil followed by a book signing session.
Wednesday, October 16th, Salon Pelliot at Hôtel Heidelbach: conference hosted by Pierre Sevaistre on the book “Chrétiens et Japonais : Histoire du catholicisme au Japon” followed by a book signing session.
Thursday, September 19th, 2:30 PM, Salon Pelliot - Hôtel d'Heidelbach : Meeting hosted by Étienne de La Vaissière on the book Asie centrale 300-850. Des routes et des royaumes followed by a book signing session
2024 PRIVATE VISITS
Thursday, December 5th, 12:00, Guimet Museum: private visit of the exhibition “Tang China: A cosmopolitan dynasty (7th -10th century)” (full)
Friday, December 6th, 10:30, Pompidou Center: private visite of the exhibition “目 Chine: A new generation of artists” (24 spots, free)
Tuesday, December 10th, 11:00, Christie’s Paris: private visit of the Christie's Asian Art Auction Exhibition. ( 20 spots, free)
Thursday, December 12th, 12:00, Guimet Museum: private visit of the exhibition “Tang China: A cosmopolitan dynasty (7th -10th century)” (full)
Thursday, December 12th, 14:00, Cernuschi Museum: private visit of the exhibition “ Lê Phô, Mai-Thu, Vu Cao Dam. Pionniers de l’art moderne vietnamien en France “ (full)
Friday, December 13th, 10:00, Guimet Museum: private visit of the exhibition “Tang China: A cosmopolitan dynasty (7th -10th century)” (full)
Thursday, November 7th, 2PM, Guimet Museum: private visit of the exhibition “L’or des Ming” (full)
Friday, November 8th, 10AM, Guimet Museum: private visit of the exhibition “L’or des Ming” (15 spots)
Tuesday, November 12th, 1:15PM, Maison de la culture du Japon à Paris: private visit of the exhibition “Tokyo, naissance d’une ville moderne“ (20 spots)
Wednesday, November 13th, 2PM, Cernuschi Museum: private visit of the exhibition “Lê Phô, Mai-Thu, Vu Cao Dam. Pionniers de l’art moderne vietnamien en France” (17 spots)
Tuesday, November 19th, 11AM, Musée des Arts Décoratifs MAD: private visit of the exhibition “Objets de luxe en Chine”. (14 spots )
Wednesday, November 20th, 3PM, Korean Cultural Center: private visit of the exhibition “Ordinary World - Un regard sur l’ordinaire par les artistes contemporains” (15 spots)
Friday, November 22nd, 10AM, Guimet Museum: private visit of the exhibition “La Chine des Tang, une dynastie cosmopolite (7e – 10e siècle)” (20 spots)
Friday, November 29th, 10AM / 11:30 AM, Hôtel d’Ennery: private visite (full)
Thursday, October 3rd, 2PM, Guimet Museum: private visit of the exhibition “L’or des Ming” (full)
Friday, October 4th, 6PM, the Victor Hugo House: private visit of the Victor Hugo House and its Chinese Room (19 spots)
Thursday, October 10th, 5:30PM, le BAL: private visit of the exhibition Yasuhiro Ishimoto - Lines and Bodies (25 spots)
Friday, October 11th, 12PM, Guimet Museum: private visit of the exhibition “L’or des Ming” (full)
Monday, October 14th, 2PM, Guimet Museum: private visit of the exhibition “L’or des Ming” (full)
Tuesday, October 15th, 10:00AM, Cernuschi Museum: private visit of the exhibition “Lê Phô, Mai-Thu, Vu Cao Dam. Pionniers de l’art moderne vietnamien en France” (24 spots)
Thursday, October 17th, 2:15PM, Guimet Museum: private visit of the new exhibits of the Korean section (24 spots)
Saturday, October 19th, 10AM, Monnaie de Paris: private visit of the ASIA NOW art fair (20 spots, in French)
Saturday, October 19th, 11:30AM, Monnaie de Paris: private visit of the ASIA NOW art fair (20 spots, in English)
Friday, October 25th, 10AM / 11:30 AM, Hôtel d’Ennery: private visit (14 spots for each visit)
Tuesday, October 29th, 2PM, Espace Temps: private visite of exhibition “Et le souffle devient signe”
Tuesday, September 3rd, 2:30 PM, Guimet Museum: private visit of the exhibition Alexandra David-Neel sur le toit du monde : Voyage à Lhassa, 1924 by Edouard de Saint‑Ours, Photographic collection curator et Thierry Zéphir, collection manager of the Nepal - Tibet section at Guimet Museum (15 spots, free )
Thursday, September 5th, 2:15 PM, Palace of Versailles: private visit of the Asian collections of the Palace of Versailles, as well as the influence of Asia on the objects of the Palace. (29 spots - 2 groups)
Friday, September 20th, 10 AM, Guimet Museum: private visit of the exhibition Gold Ming The splendors and beauties of Imperial China (14th – 17th centuries) guided by Arnaud Bertrand, curator of the Korean and Chinese collection of the Guimet Museum (15 spots, free)
Monday September 23rd, 10 AM, The Victor Hugo House: private visit of the Victor Hugo House and its Chinese Room (19 spots, free)
Tuesday, July 2, 11:00 AM, Missions étrangères de Paris (128 Rue du Bac, 75007 PARIS): Third private visit of the exhibition "The Christian Epic in Japan" (19 places, €10 cash on site)
Saturday, June 8, 2:30 PM, Asian Art Bridge : Private tour of the exhibition “Pretty as a Sheep” by the artist Duong Thuy Duong and Linh An, founder of Asian Art Bridge
Friday, June 14, 2:30 PM, Guimet Museum: Private tour (in English) of the exhibition “At the Heart of Color: Masterpieces of Chinese Monochrome Porcelain (8th-18th Century)” by Richard Kan, honorary member of the SAMG and one of the world's foremost collectors of Chinese monochrome porcelains
Saturday, June 15, 3:00 PM, Maison de la Culture du Japon à Paris : Conference “Kenzô Tange & the Departmental Museum of Asian Arts” with Adrien Bossard, Director of the Departmental Museum of Asian Arts and the Lympia Cultural Space
Monday, June 24, 1:45 PM, Sèvres - Manufacture and National Museum : Tour of two Sèvres ceramic workshops followed by an exclusive visit to Chinese works at the museum's documentation center, presented by the department head
Monday, June 24, 4:00 PM, Musée Albert-Kahn : “Monday with Friends” at the Musée Albert-Kahn
Tuesday, June 25, 2:30 PM, Tour of the Tropical Agronomy Garden by Thaïs Dabadie, researcher in art history and social sciences at EHESS
Friday, June 28, 2:30 PM, Guimet Museum: Private tour of the exhibition “At the Heart of Color: Masterpieces of Chinese Monochrome Porcelain (8th-18th Century)” by Claire Déléry, Curator - Chinese Ceramics Section at the Guimet Museum and co-curator of the exhibition (20 seats, free)
2023 CONFERENCES
Friday June 16, 3:00 pm, Guimet museum auditorium, as part of the Printemps Asiatique, Round table : “Sharing Friendship : the Guimet museum and its Friends, 100 years of common history”
Thursday, February 9th, 2:00pm, Salon Pelliot of l'Hôtel Heidelbach: "Arts sacrés, arts laïques au Bhoutan" lecture (in French) by Françoise Pommaret, ethnologist and tibetologist, research director at CNR
Thursday, January 19th, 6:00 PM, on Zoom : videoconference "Collections and collectors of Chinese art at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs" by Béatrice Quette, curator in charge of Asian and non-Western collections at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs.
Thursday, September 27th, 6:00 PM, Zoom videoconference, theme : “An exceptional amateur taste : the chinese and monochrome ceramic collection of Alfred Baur (1865 - 1951)”. Lecturer : Mrs Monique Crick, President of the Oriental Ceramic French Research Society (SFECO) in Paris d former Director of the Baur Fondation which is liked to the Far East Museum in Geneva.
2023 PRIVATE VISITS
Monday June 12, 3:00 pm, Marmottan-Monet museum : private visit of the exhibition “Neo-romantics, a forgotten moment in modern art 1926-1972”
Saturday May 13, 10 am, Ennery museum : private visit of the museum with a tour guide
Thursday April 13, 2:30 pm, Guimet museum : private visit of the permanent collections on "The tea ceremony in Japan" with Sylvie Ahmadian, guide
Wednesday, April 12, 2:30 pm, Guimet museum : private visit n°2 of the permanent collections on "The Khmer kings and the temples of Angkor" with Sylvie Ahmadian, guide
2022 CONFERENCES
Wednesday, June 15, 2:30 PM, Salon Pelliot at l’Hôtel Heidelbach. Conference : “Porcelaines, textiles et mobiliers des Compagnies des Indes : les arts décoratifs chinois et indiens, reflets de la croisée des mondes”, lecturer : Brigitte Nicolas.
Friday, June 10, 10:30 AM - Asian Spring at La Pagode CT Loo.
Thursday, June 9, 2:30 PM, Guimet Museum Auditorium. Conference : “Pierre Loti, un voyageur en Asie”, lecturer : Jean-Claude Perrier, author-journalist, publisher of the 7 volumes wrote by Pierre Loti about his voyages.
Wednesday, May 18, 6:00 PM, videoconference Zoom. Conference : “Emile Guimet et arts d’Asie au musée des Confluences”, lecturer : Hélène Lafont-Couturier, Director of the Confluences Museum based in Lyon.
Tuesday, April 14, 2:30 PM, Salon Pelliot at l’Hôtel Heidelbach. Conference : “Le Dernier Maharaja d’Indore”, lecturer : Géraldine Lenain, President of the Guimet Museum Friends Society.
Thursday, March 10, 2:30 PM, Salon Pelliot at l’Hôtel Heidelbach. Conference : “La sociabilité dans les jardins de lettré dans la Chine ancienne”, lecturer : Antoine Gournay, Art History and Archaeology Professor specialized in the Far East Arts at Sorbonne University.
Monday, February 10, 2:30 PM, Salon Pelliot at l’Hôtel Heidelbach. Conference : “Le paradoxe indien d’André Malraux”, lecturer : Jean-Claude Perrier, author-journalist-publisher.
Thursday, January 20, 6:00 PM, videoconference Zoom. Conference : “Hampi : Inde sacrée, Inde glorieuse”, lecturer : Pierre-Sylvain Filliozat and Vasundhara Kavali-Filliozat.
Thursday, March 23, 6:30 pm, online on Zoom : videoconference on "The departmental museum of Asian arts in Nice" by Adrien Bossard, heritage curator and director of the departmental museum of Asian arts in Nice
Thursday, April 20, 2:30 pm, Salon Pelliot of the Hôtel Heidelbach : conference on "Himalayan art treasures in the collections of the Guimet Museum" by Thierry Zéphir, research engineer - Himalayan World Section at the Guimet Museum
2022 PRIVATE VISITS
Monday, February 6th, 2:30pm, musée Guimet: private tour of the permanent collections "Les rois khmers et les temples d'Angkor" with Sylvie Ahmadian, tour-guide
Monday, January 16th, musée Guimet: private tour of the exhibition "Afghanistan. Ombres et légendes" with Sylvie Ahmadian, tour-guide
Wednesday, January 14th, 2:30pm, musée Guimet: private tour of the exhibition "Afghanistan. Ombres et légendes" with Sylvie Ahmadian, tour-guide
Wednesday, January 11th, 2:30pm, musée Guimet: private tour of the exhibition " Bons baisers de Pékin – Yishu8, histoire d’une résidence d’artistes" with Christine Cayol, founder of Yishu8
Tuesday, January 10th, 10:30am, musée Guimet: private tour of the Carte blanche to Wang Keping, with Claire Bettinelli, curator in charge of contemporary exhibitions and collections at the musée Guimet
Wednesday, May 25, 10:00 AM, Quai Branly Museum. Private visit theme : “DINH Q. LÊ. Le fils de la mémoie et autres photographies”, guide : Christine Barthe, curator of the exhibition and chief of the photographic collections at the Quai Branly Museum.
Tuesday, May 17, 11:15 AM, Albert-Kahn Museum. Private visit theme : “The restoration of the Albert-Kahn Museum”, guide : Sylvie Ahmadian.
Tuesday, May 10, 10:30 AM, Guimet Museum. Private visit theme : “Carte Blanche à Chiharu Shiota”, guide : Claire Bettinelli, exhibition supervisor at the Guimet Museum.
Sunday, April 2, 10:30 AM, Guimet Museum. Private visit theme : “L’Arc et le Sabre”, guide : Sylvie Ahmadian.
Tuesday, March 29, 10:30 AM, Guimet Museum. Private visit theme : “Yoga. Ascètes, yogis, soufis”, guide : Amina Okada, chief curator and supervisor of the indian collections at the Guimet Museum.
Thursday, March 24, 10:30 AM, Guimet Museum. Private visit theme : “Le tantrisme au musée Guimet (Népal, Tibet)”, guide : Constance Barreault.
Tuesday, March 22, 10:30, Guimet Museum. Private visit theme : “Yoga. Ascètes, yogis, soufis”, guide : Vincent Lefèvre, chief curator and supervisor of the Guimet Museum collections.
Monday, February 7, 10:30 AM, Guimet Museum. Private visit theme : “La route de la soie au musée Guimet”, guide : Constance Barreault.
Thursday, February 3, 11:00 AM, Institut du Monde Arabe (IMA). Private visit theme : “Juifs d’Orient” exhibition.
Tuesday, January 25, 10:00 AM, Cernuschi Museum. Private visit theme : “Peindre hors du monde, Moines et lettrés des dynasties Mingg et Qing - Collection Chih Lo Lou”, guide : Eric Lefebvre, Cernuschi Museum Director.
Saturday, February 25th, 11:00am, musée Cernuschi : private tour of the exhibition "l’Encre en mouvement" with Maël Bellec, curator of Chinese and Korean arts at the musée Cernuschi
Saturday, March 4, 10:30 am, Institut du Monde Arabe : private visit of the exhibition "On the roads to Samarkand. Wonders of silk and gold" exhibition
Monday March 13, 2:30 pm, Guimet museum : private visit of the permanent collections, "In the footsteps of Buddha" with Sylvie Ahmadian, guide
Wednesday, March 15, 2:30 pm, Guimet museum : private visit of the exhibition "Hiroshige and the fan, a journey in 19th century Japan - exceptional loans from the Georges Leskowicz collection, one of the most beautiful collections in the world" with Georges Leskowicz
Tuesday, March 21, 10:30 am, Musée du Quai Branly : private visit of the exhibition "Kimono" with Julien Rousseau, head of the Asia heritage unit at the Musée du Quai Branly
Tuesday April 4, 3:30 pm, Guimet museum: private visit of the exhibition "Circle and sacred territory. The mandala in the work of Raza" with Thierry Zéphir, in charge of the collection - Nepal-Tibet section at the Guimet museum
Wednesday, April 12, 2:30 pm, Guimet museum : private visit n°2 of the permanent collections on "The Khmer kings and the temples of Angkor" with Sylvie Ahmadian, guide
Thursday April 13, 2:30 pm, Guimet museum : private visit of the permanent collections on "The tea ceremony in Japan" with Sylvie Ahmadian, guide