Inspired by a seriesof photographs taken in 2019 by Corinne Mercadier in a storeroom at the Commanderie Sainte-Luce, the Musée Réattu collection rehang makesPandora’s box a metaphor for a fundamental task performed by the ‘Musée de France’ designated institution: stocktaking. There is very little public awareness of stocktaking, Stocktaking is however a fascinating exercise consisting of verifyingthe presence andlegal status of allobjectsin a museum collection. It provides an opportunity to explore thecollectionsin-depth, as well as oftenleading into a dizzying world of the unknown and research.When a collection consistsof several thousand objects, like that of the Musée Réattu, the curator never knows what to expect when the door is opened to a reserve collection, an attic, a box oran antique wardrobe that has been set aside for years...The stories that lie behind these objectsare never known in advance. Sometimes, artists invited by the museum lead the way. Exploring the most unlikely places, they encourage curators toquestion and find out about lesser known heritages or those of a priorisecondary interest for research. They have also recorded on filmobjects that have now disappeared,adding inestimable worth to the artistic interest in their works. This rehang therefore invites us to follow Pandora, to open, room after room, a little-known chapter ofthe history of Arles and the museum. Drawing its inspiration from the aesthetics and spirit of cabinets of‘curiosities’, the presentation compares unusual objects for which the museum has been a depositary – stuffed animals, old plaster casts, liturgical objects, etc. – with contemporary worksfrom the collections orborrowed for the occasion, encouraging everyone to reflect upon the future of this heritage.
