Dragons

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="0ea085a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><I><B>The Humanities Exchange</B></I><I><B> </B></I></FONT><B>   </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Humanities Exchange"><B>home</B></A></div> <div>                                                   </div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=170 BGCOLOR="#330066" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <I><B>Dragons</B></I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>Dragons: Between Science and Fiction</I></div> <bR> <bR> <div>                            <IMG SRC="2fd48990.png" border=0 width="584" height="409" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I>An enchanting journey</I></div> <div> <I> through the cultural and natural history roots of the </I></div> <div> <I>world's most enduring mythological creature ......</I></div> <div> <I> DRAGONS!</I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="300f0f50.jpg" border=0 width="752" height="501" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="8" CELLSPACING="2" WIDTH="755" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#990000 > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 280 ><NOBR><div>  </div> <div> <I>The exhibition was a production of </I></div> <div> <I>Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle  de France  </I></div> <div> <I>and the </I></div> <div> <I>Départment de la Moselle, France</I></div> <div> <I> </I></div> <div> <I>adapted by the</I></div> <div> <I>Musée de la civilisation, Quebec, Canada</I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I> The exhibition was first created at </I></div> <div> <I>Château de Malbrouck, </I></div> <div> <I>then adapted for presentation at </I></div> <div> <I>Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle</I></div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="331"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="280" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="331" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 274 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="29d900c0.jpg" border=0 width="400" height="268" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="331"><div> The three-part journey :</div> <bR> <div>  Dragons Through Time and Dragons Around the World</div> <div>  </div> <div> The Riddle of the Dragon </div> <bR> <div> The Missions of the Dragon </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>At every stage, visitors were welcomed by audio narrations of a dragon hunter, and two separate “chambers” cover related topics.</I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 285 WIDTH="386"><div> <I>Fantasy literature played a starring role in the exhibition. Storyteller, theater director, and author of the famous Quebec fantasy series ''Amos Daragon'', Bryan Perro,  was commissioned to write a story featuring his famous character.  </I></div> <bR> <div> <I>The story  ran  parallel to the exhibition and took visitors on a twelve-part adventure through the exhibition that started with the birth and metamorphosis of the noble dragon Maelstrom and then led visitors to discover the object of his new quest. </I></div> <bR> <div> <I>By the end of this journey, visitors understood the dragon’s ambivalent nature, wavering between benevolence and evil through time and space.</I></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2dd5ce80.jpg" border=0 width="348" height="232" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 417 ><NOBR><bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2a477fa0.jpg" border=0 width="375" height="250" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="331"><bR> <bR> <div> <I>Fascinating sculptures, paintings, textiles, and cultural objects ranging from shadow puppets to ceremonial masks and helmets demonstrated the surprising similarities -- and differences -- in the ways peoples around the world have envisioned and depicted these strange and wonderful creatures.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>     Natural history specimens and  prehistoric animals  showed how  --  through misidentification, speculation, and imagination --  these legendary beasts may have been inspired.     </I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>   And film clips, narratives, and interactive activities rounded out the experience in a spectacular environment that was both mysterious and imaginative.</I></div> <bR> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 361 WIDTH="386"><div> <I>The first section of the exhibition showed the astonishing diversity of myths and stories portraying the dragon from earliest times to the present.</I></div> <div> <I>The timelessness and universality of the dragon is seen through a series of works and objects from around the world.</I></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2de6dc70.jpg" border=0 width="365" height="199" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="331"><div> <I>The second section posed a riddle aimed at identifying the main characteristics of the beast and  focusing on the hybrid nature of the dragon.  </I></div> <bR> <div> <I>How can you possibly define  an animal that does not exist?     How is the dragon different from other imaginary monsters? </I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Although they come in a wide variety of forms, the many dragons around the world seem to share certain characteristics.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Visitors defined, one by one, the characteristics of the beast: a reptile; an amalgam of air, fire, earth, and water; and a peculiar assemblage.  They identified parts of animals which constituted the beast. Indeed, dragons are mysterious creatures!</I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 586 WIDTH="386"><bR> <bR> <div> <I>This space was also home to the first “chamber”  --  the curiosity cabinet / library.   It imaginatively evoked the search for truth and lies about dragons. </I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2a17eff0.jpg" border=0 width="382" height="255" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>As early as the 16th century, curiosity cabinets displayed fanciful objects presented as rare creations from the living world. Scientists soon demonstrated the absurdity of such compositions, however, in light of the laws of nature. </I></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="331"><bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2db0e950.jpg" border=0 width="270" height="405" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>The Missions of the Dragon</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>The third section of the exhibition showed  the often ambivalent roles that humans have attributed to dragons.</I></div> <bR> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 256 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="2a477fa0.jpg" border=0 width="375" height="250" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="331"><bR> <div> <I>The dragon is entrusted with very diverse missions. As an ambivalent creature, sometimes kind, sometimes wicked, it adapts to numerous situations. Its role as intermediary between nature and culture, human and divine, proves to be fundamental.</I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 1150 WIDTH="386"><div> <I>This section  of the exhibition was divided into seven interconnected themes that moved from culture to culture, through space and time, showing the different missions of the dragon in turn as a creator of the world, anointing heroes,  creature of evil, marker of seasons, incarnation of power, source of protection and fear,  and as a guardian of treasure.</I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="298810c0.jpg" border=0 width="385" height="268" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2e47cfd0.jpg" border=0 width="380" height="253" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2e5970f0.jpg" border=0 width="407" height="271" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="331"><div> <I>Like many imaginary creatures, dragons have become decorative motifs, found on precious works of art.  When they appear on jewelry, they are also protective signs.</I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2964af60.jpg" border=0 width="330" height="246" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2e22dab0.jpg" border=0 width="301" height="427" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2e036170.jpg" border=0 width="310" height="279" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 581 WIDTH="386"><div> <IMG SRC="274900b0.jpg" border=0 width="400" height="267" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>This space featured thrilling tales, and presented decorative art pieces, as well as illustrations from fantasy novels by famous authors.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>This is where the family activity,  </I><I>Are you a dragonologist?</I><I> was held. A series of paintings by Christian Duguay, illustrated of the adventure novel L’Empire perdu by Serge Fitzback, were on display here.</I></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="331"><bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>Visitors to the exhibition came next  upon a second “chamber” to explore: Creature of Fantasy.  A  gargoyle overlooking the entrance to this chamber where the dragon reigns supreme in fantasy worlds. </I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="29782020.jpg" border=0 width="386" height="258" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="386"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="386" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="331"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="331" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="9" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="854" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 411 WIDTH="395"><div> The  ''Dragon Effect''</div> <bR> <div> In Québec, since its opening at the Musee de la civilisation, the exhibition was also been extraordinarily popular.</div> <bR> <div> Five full time guides during open hours were needed to  satisfy the demand for the workshops and family activities</div> <bR> <div> Attendance at the museum for the summer period  increased by 45% compared with the same period in the prior year.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Additional information on this exhibition can be found at  Dragondata.htm</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2e7900b0.jpg" border=0 width="400" height="267" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>