2023

Think culture 2023

To mark the start of the 2023 academic year, the 8th Think Culture event was held on Tuesday 5th September, at the Centre Pompidou, organized by News Tank Culture and partnered by Universcience.

For this year's event, News Tank tackled a vast subject that is more topical than ever: "Culture and digital: the permanent revolution? A day dedicated to innovation in the cultural sector."

During the session "Museums and monumental heritage, their audiences, their own resources: how far can digital innovation go?", alongside Olivia Voisin, Musées de la ville d'Orléans Métropole ; Annick Lemoine, le Petit Palais ; and Abla Bernmiloud-Faucher, Centre des monuments nationaux, our President Bruno Maquart, presented the digital strategy of the Cité des sciences et de l'industrie and the Palais de la découverte. He mentioned a number of projects that have been put in place, from two angles: free offers, such as Blob, and paying offers. Today, each of our physical offerings is accompanied by a paying online digital offer, as with our Cancers and Crowdology exhibitions.

Bruno Maquart stressed the importance of experimentation when it comes to digital innovations: "We need to invent new languages and adapt. We need to learn. If it doesn't work, we do something else. The important thing is to experiment."

Following on from these various projects, our first lessons are: "There is no head-on competition between the digital distance offer and the physical offer. We're just coming off a record-breaking summer in terms of visitor numbers. Digital also works. We can develop two fronts at once: the physical visit and the digital."

In another session, Anne-Laure Mayer, Project Manager at Universcience, presented the "Fab Lab at school: how to stimulate the development of scientific, technical and industrial culture among young people through 'do-it-yourself'?"

The aim of the project is to "stimulate interest in science and the scientific approach." The benefits for the students are manifold, with an increase in their desire to learn, to share, and in their self-confidence; and for the teachers, who develop, among other things, collaborative work.

In conclusion, it was a day rich in constructive exchanges, to move forward together towards greater innovation in the cultural sector.

Special Effects in Villeneuve D'ascq - last days

On vacation in the North of France? Make the most of it: there's only 2 weeks left to discover our travelling exhibition, Special Effects, on show at the Forum des Sciences, Villeneuve d'Acsq, until August 27.

The exhibition is a co-production with the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC).

It's hard to imagine cinema without special effects! They contribute to some of the most successful films ever made, and are used in every genre: action, science fiction, romantic comedy... This exhibition takes you behind the scenes of special effects, covering every stage in the creation of a film.

Inauguration of Microbiota exhibition in Jerusalem

On June 30, 2023, our President, Bruno Maquart, was in Jerusalem, Israel, with Maya Halevy, Director of the Bloomfield Museum, for the inauguration of our traveling exhibition Microbiota.

Well done to the teams at Universcience and the Bloomfield Museum for their work, which led to this wonderful tour.

The exhibition is inspired by the best-selling book "The Discreet Charm of the Gut" by Giulia Enders and Jill Enders, which has sold over 4 million copies in France and Germany. It is a European co-conception between Universcience, Ciencia Viva and Heureka. This exhibition opens the doors to an underestimated organ, revealing the discreet charms of the intestine and explaining how this knowledge can be used to improve everyday life.

AMCSTI 2023

From June 21 to 23, Universcience teams were in Bastia, Corsica, for the AMCSTI 2023 annual congress.

They had a busy schedule: a workshop on ecology; a conference on planetariums; a round table on the Fablab; conferences on how to tackle vulnerability-related issues in an exhibition; on Phygital; and exchanges on the mediation of tomorrow. And plenty more besides!

Our export team also presented our traveling exhibitions at the Foire aux projets.

ECSITE 2023

From June 15, 2023 to June 17, 2023, science professionals from all over the world met, exchanged ideas and debated, for ECSITE 2023.

They explored a wide range of topics, from exhibition development to the relationship between science and society; through keynote speeches; various presentation events, conferences and the famous "Business Bistro", where Universcience had the stand #53.

The 2023 conference was rich in creative sessions, inspiring conversations and countless moments of sharing!

Visit from the Tanzanian delegation of Projekt Inspire

This week, as part of the development of the Tanzanian science center network, Universcience welcomed a delegation of five Tanzanian STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) professionals, working for ProjeKt Inspire. 

It is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It was founded by Lwidiko Edward Mhamilawa, one of the participants in the residency for young African scientific talent hosted by Universcience during the Africa2020 Season. 

He is also the founder of the country's first science centers (in Tanga and Dar-es-salaam), for which Universcience will make available for ten years exhibition elements for young audiences from Playhuts and Fragile! which were presented during their visits by exhibition curators Alisson Boiffard and Floriane Perot. 

The visit to Paris of Kelvin Kimath, STEM Park Manager in Dar-es-salaam; Mohamed Mohamed, RSS STEM Facilitator; Cecilia Shoni, Coordinator of the Rising STEAM Stars program for pre and elementary school students and STEM Communications Officer; Max Singu, STEM Park Manager in Tanga; and Edwin Marandu, STEM Content Facilitator, enabled a wide-ranging exchange of know-how and practices between science culture professionals. 

They also had the opportunity to discover the Cité des sciences et de l'industrie, and the Etincelles du Palais de la découverte, through training courses in museography, technical support, operations and scientific mediation. 

This project is made possible by the support of the French Ministry of Culture. 

"What's new in the Middle Ages?" at the Abbey of Arthous

Since May 2nd, the Abbey of Arthous, a historical jewel nestled in Les Landes, is the host of our traveling exhibition "What's new in the Middle Ages?", and this until October 31st, 2023.

Its inauguration was held on Saturday, May 13. We were privileged to have Isabelle Catteddu, curator of the exhibition and archaeologist from the Inrap (Institut national de recherches archéologiques préventives), who went over some key elements. She was followed by Rachel Durquety, Departmental Councillor; Corinne Dampierre, Interregional Director of INRAP Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Overseas; and Marie-Sophie Mugica, our Head of the Export Department, who enriched this day with their valuable perspectives.

The Landes department prepared a dynamic program around the exhibition, including workshops, lectures and games such as archery and a construction game.

We are delighted to announce that dozens of school groups have already booked guided tours, testifying to the considerable interest in this exciting journey through the Middle Ages.

"What's New in the Middle Ages" offers an innovative perspective on a thousand years of history, thanks to the fruitful collaboration with INRAP, and is a treasure trove of wonder and new insights into this intriguing period.

Teo Live 2023

On May 11th, Universcience participated in Teo Live, Touring Exhibitions Organization's annual online event dedicated to travelling exhibitions, organised by Manon Delaury.  

Teo Live is designed to support the international touring exhibitions community – to discover exhibitions and experiences, hear about trends and meet with colleagues from around the world, with for example: Kunstpalast ; American Museum of Natural History ; Imagine Exhibitions, Inc. ; Science Museum Group ; Natural History Museum ; Science North International Sales ; Contemporanea Progetti ; Smithsonian Institution ; Muséum de Toulouse ; Grand Palais Immersif and many more!  

The 2023 keynote session focus on challenges, trends and creativity in international touring with a spotlight presentation on the future of touring exhibitions and experiences. Anaïs Aguerre and Otone Doi from Culture Connect Ltd unveil and discuss the findings of the Cultural Dialogue Survey on the Future of Touring Exhibitions, just carried out by Culture Connect in collaboration with Teo. 

Corinne Michellet-Boungo, Promotion Officer, presented our touring exhibition Crowds

To access the replay: CLICK HERE

PRESSE - Cancers : articles Blooloop & OCIM

Today cancer is still too often a taboo subject.

The Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie is presenting Cancers, a major temporary exhibition covering all the scientific, psychological and social dimensions of this complex disease.The Cancers exhibition has chosen to put the patient at the core of its narrative, as well as the nursing staff and carers, offering numerous testimonies on life during and after.

For more information, see the exhibition, currently on show at the Cité des sciences et de l'industrie until 6 August 2023, highlighted in two feature articles:

Extract: "Universcience, an organisation that works to make science accessible to all, has debuted an exhibition designed to break down the walls of taboo and stigma surrounding different cancers, in Paris. The exhibition goes beyond simply providing information by creating a space for visitors to explore the disease from all angles – including the scientific, medical, intimate, and societal aspects. Through exhibits, personal stories, and cutting-edge research, visitors will gain a deeper understanding of the impact of cancer on individuals and society as a whole."

  • the second article (in French) written by the OCIM, a national centre for ideation, shared knowledge and reference for professionals and researchers in museums, heritage and scientific and technical cultures: « REGARDER LE CANCER EN FACE DANS UN MUSÉE DE SCIENCES

Extract: "Avec l’exposition Cancers (du 6 septembre 2022 au 8 août 2023), la Cité des sciences et de l’industrie, en partenariat avec l’INCa et en collaboration avec l’Inserm, s’est attelée à une réalisation audacieuse et courageuse, avec l’ambition de lever les tabous autour de ce sujet difficile. Les commissaires de l’exposition, Laurence Caunézil et Maud Gouy livrent ici les principes qui ont présidé à leurs choix scénographiques."

One of the particularities of the exhibition, mentioned in these two articles, is its scenography. As cancer has many facets, the exhibition could not be linear. It takes the form of a vast territory to be explored designed around five audiovisual installations: three are devoted to medicine and research; two to the shock caused by the announcement of a cancer.

The exhibition will be available for touring at the end of 2023.

SITEM 2023

Back to SITEM 2023, a Beaux-Arts & cie event: with, this year, many conferences around sustainable development and innovation, and as every year, various exhibitors, key actors and innovators of the cultural sector.

The conference "Giving oneself the means of eco-responsibility" in which Universcience participated gave rise to an interesting discussion and important exchanges around the eco-responsibility of museums and cultural institutions, with Camille Pène, Co-founder, les Augures, as moderator.  

Michèle Antoine, Director of Exhibitions at Universcience, highlighted the many eco-responsible and essential projects for the ecological transition implemented by Universcience. The first project mentioned, which has been underway for a long time in the establishment, is that of internal awareness and training.

Projects that are more central to the institution's mission were then presented during the conference, such as: Les Etincelles du Palais de la découverte, an ephemeral construction made with 100% recycled materials; the Renaissances exhibition, a zero waste exhibition; the Evolutions industrielles exhibition, a "deposit" exhibition for future exhibitions, etc. One of the keys to these projects is the desire to work in a circular economy and to give priority to reuse, and to integrate these ideas from the design stage.

It's all About Love in Laval

What more universal subject of attention than love? ❤️ Enigmatic, almighty engine of so many stories, love seems particularly difficult to define.

The Zoom of Laval, Science center, directed by Jeanne Marie Mas, is wearing the colors of love until August 6, 2023 by hosting the eponymous exhibition.

The exhibition All about love was inaugurated in Laval on March 10, 2023, in the presence of the President of Universcience Bruno Maquart, accompanied by Sophie Biecheler, Director of International Relations, Cultural and Scientific Sector, and Mathilde Curdel, Project Manager, with Florian Bercault, Mayor of Laval and President of Laval Agglomeration, Marie-Laure Le Mée Clavreul, Deputy for Education, Gender Equality and the Fight against Discrimination, and Samia Soultani-Vigneron, Vice President of the Regional Council.

During his speech, Mr. Maquart insisted on the singularity of this exhibition for Universcience: "All about love has a special meaning for my teams. As the last exhibition of the Palais de la découverte before its closure for several years of works, in autumn 2020, it has left its mark on the minds and hearts of our visitors and attracted many of what we call "young adults". It is therefore with undisguised pleasure that I find her today within these walls, in this very beautiful place of encounter between the public and science that is the Zoom of Laval."

This project is the result of the excellent work of the Zoom and Universcience teams and their beautiful collaboration.

All about love questions this mysterious feeling by relying on scientific and artistic works. There is no global scientific theory on love. However, affection, attachment, sexuality and empathy are conveyed by the same molecules, trigger the secretion of the same hormones and use the same neuronal circuits.

Fire at Quai des Savoirs, Toulouse

Our travelling exhibition Fire opened at the Quai des Savoirs in Toulouse on February 9. It will remain there until November 5, 2023.

Francis Grass, Deputy Mayor in charge of coordinating cultural and memorial policies, Councillor of Toulouse Métropole; Laurent Chicoineau, Director of the Quai des Savoirs; and Sébastien Vergé, Director of the SDIS31, co-Chairman of the 129th firefighters' congress, spoke at the opening ceremony, presenting the exhibition.

Our Chairman, Bruno Maquart, also gave a poignant speech, highlighting the long and fruitful collaboration between our two institutions.

In his speech, Sébastien Vergé emphasized, among other things, that there had never been an exhibition about fire. The exhibition is therefore a unique project that could inspire vocations and raise awareness of the firefighting profession.

Yet fire has left its mark on the history of mankind, and is sadly often a topical issue. The exhibition highlights our relationship with fire, which has evolved over time and still today oscillates between fear and fascination. Fire evokes vitality, conviviality, progress and technology, but also danger and destruction.

Universcience is proud of all its teams who have worked on this project, and would like to thank the Quai des Savoirs teams who, in addition to this great joint project, have prepared a varied program of events around this theme.

2022

Cats & Dogs in Croissy-sur-Seine

Our traveling exhibition Cats & Dogs opened in December 2022 in the City of Croissy-sur-Seine and will be presented there until July 16, 2023, at the Château Chanorier.

There are nearly 63 million pets in France, including 7.4 million dogs and 11.4 million cats. This phenomenon is not only European, it is developing in the United States, Brazil, Japan... But do we really know our daily companions?

Aimed at all visitors from 6 to 99 years old, the exhibition aims to reveal the scientific, sociological and cultural knowledge about these animals.

Banquet in Lyon

Our traveling exhibition Banquet opened in October 2022 at the Cité internationale de la gastronomie in Lyon. It will be presented to the public until November 5, 2023. The exhibition is one of the first exhibitions presented in the institution and inaugurates its reopening in Lyon. The objective of this City is to "reconcile in the same place a living gastronomy, locavore, enhancing the jobs of food and agriculture of the territory."

With more than 234,000 visitors during its presentation at the Cité des sciences et de l'industrie, Banquet aims to offer an immersive, interactive and multi-sensory exploration of the historical, cultural and scientific aspects of cooking and gastronomy.

This is a unique opportunity to learn more about French gastronomy: come test your senses and take your taste buds on a journey through fun taste experiences. Taste madeleines and chocolate as you have never done before!

It's all About Love at the Pont du Gard...

The Pont du Gard is talking About Love until September 30, 2022 by hosting the eponymous exhibition.

For this presentation, the exhibition was enriched by contents developed by the Quai des Savoirs, but also, outside, by decorations and graphics designed by the artists Michel Lafon and Serge Bloch, as well as a monumental fresco by Pyrate.

The Château Chanorier welcomes Playhuts

The exhibition Playhuts is taking up residence in the town of Croissy-sur-Seine. The exhibition opened its doors on 22 February at the Château Chanorier.

It will welcome young visitors who will be able to explore a dozen huts until 6 November 2022.

The Cats & Dogs exhibition has settled in London

The exhibition has crossed the Channel to the Horniman Museum & Gardens, in London's Forest Hill district.  It will be on display until 30 October 2022.

There are an estimated 10.5 million cats and 12.5 million dogs in the UK. The exhibition offers an opportunity to find out more about these fascinating pets.

Microbiote opens in Rouen, Normandy

The Microbiota exhibition, in its 400 m² version, has just been set up at the heart of the Odyssée Santé exhibition at the Atrium in Rouen.

Odyssée Santé presents over 1000 m² a journey to the heart of health and research and offers three exhibitions in one: Microbiota, In My Body and Health in Normandy.

The exhibition will be on display from 1 February 2022 to 30 October 2023.

On your marks, get set... go to Bordeaux to see Body & Sport!

The exhibition has just opened its doors, Saturday, December 11, at Cap Sciences, the science center of Bordeaux.

The exhibition will present most of the sports workshops initially presented in Paris: soccer, tennis, biathlon, etc.

It will be presented in Bordeaux until Sunday, September 4, 2022.

Microbiota comes to Germany

The exhibition opened on December 4 at the Experimenta science center in Heilbronn.

Entitled "Darm mit Charme", the German version of the exhibition takes the original name of the book from which it is taken.

It will be presented at Experimenta until May 1, 2022.

Special Effects! steals the scene of the Pôle Pixel in Villeurbanne

As part of the official programme of Villeurbanne, French Capital of Culture 2022, the Pôle Pixel is hosting the exhibition "Special effects, steal the scene!"

The exhibition inaugurates the opening of Studio 24 to the public. Studio 24 is an emblematic place of the Pôle PIXEL. From Kaamelott (series and film) to Insoupçonnable (series), via Ma vie de Courgette (animated film) and many others, many talents have passed through its doors.

With this exhibition, from 17 September 2021 to 27 March 2022, the Pôle PIXEL offers its visitors the opportunity to discover what goes on behind the scenes on a film set.

Our exhibitions on tour

06/28/2021

With the end of lockdown, our traveling exhibitions can finally reconnect with their audiences:


Opening of Special Effects! at the Musée de la Civilisation in Quebec City

03/01/2021

After several months of waiting, the Quebec version of the Special Effects exhibition finally opened to the public at the Musée de la Civilisation in Québec City on February 18th. Result of a fruitful collaboration between the Cité des sciences et de l'industrie and the Musée de la Civilisation, this exhibition showcases Canadian and Quebec talent that is known and recognized worldwide in the field of special effects.

The exhibition is on display in Québec City until April 25, 2021.

For the time being you can discover it in video by following this link.

2020

Opening of Smallicieux in Lille

08/25/2020

Inspired and designed by the teams of the Cité des enfants in Paris, Smallicieux, Lillenium's Cité des enfants, opened its doors on Tuesday, August 25, 2020.

Through all these activities, Smallicieux, Lillenium's Children's City, offers children a fun and intelligent introduction to scientific phenomena and, for the adults accompanying them, the pleasure of sharing a great moment of complicity!

Universcience was thus able to share its expertise in science museography adapted to children with Vicity, the designer of the mall. 

www.lillenium-lille.com


The exhibition Edged On presented at the Musée de l'Histoire du Fer of Nancy

07/13/2020

The exhibition Edged On is on display at the Musée de l'Histoire du Fer in Nancy from 11 July to 7 March 2021. Born from the collaboration between Universcience and two European science centres, Heureka in Finland and the Pavilion of Knowledge in Portugal, it offers visitors a journey of challenge and audacity into the various risks of its existence, to better identify, confront and understand them.


Cats and Dogs in Bordeaux

07/06/2020

The Cats and Dogs exhibition is hosted at Cap Sciences in Bordeaux since July 4, 2020 and until February 21, 2021. It is the first major exhibition on scientific, sociological and cultural knowledge about our four-legged domestic friends.


The Fire exhibition at the Espace des Sciences of Rennes

06/25/2020

Our exhibition Fire has been on display at the Espace des Sciences in Rennes since 23 June, where it is sure to attract new visitors. This exhibition, produced in collaboration with the Paris Fire Brigade and recently presented at the Pont du Gard, explores the theme of this fascinating natural phenomenon and its control by man over 400,000 years of history.


Pasteur in Sao Paulo - Brazil

17/02/2020

The Pasteur exhibition was inaugurated on February 6th at Sesc Interlagos in the presence of Bruno Maquart, President of Universcience.

The exhibition will be presented there until July 26th, 2020.

2019

The Urban Mutations exhibition inaugurated in Singapore

24/10/2019

After a fruitful collaboration in 2015 during the preparation of the exhibition in Paris, the Science Centre Singapore has just inaugurated its permanent exhibition Urban Mutations, based on the version presented in Paris. This inauguration took place in the presence of the French Ambassador to Singapore.


Cats & Dogs stops in Rennes

09/30/2019

After Lisbon, "Cats & Dogs" continues its successful tour by stopping at the Espace des Sciences in Rennes (Brittany, France).

The exhibition will be on display until March 8, 2020.


Universcience at the ASTC Annual Conference

09/24/2019

The ASTC Annual Conference was held in Toronto from September 20 to 24, 2019. This edition was in partnership with the Ontario Science Centre.

This year, Universcience teams were present in the exhibit hall to promote its offer to North American science centres. The teams also facilitated sessions presenting the institution's expertise.


"Cats and Dogs" continues its North American tour

09/24/2019

The Cats and Dogs exhibition has been on display since September 22nd at the Telus World of Science in Vancouver (Canada) where it will remain until January 2020.


07/23/2019

Cold at the SciPort in Busan (South Korea)

Since July 23, the exhibition Cold has for the first time been presented at the SciPort, Busan National Science Museum, in South Korea until November 3 in a 1,000 sq. m. space.

On the opening day, a report was filmed by Korean television, take a look!


"What's New in the Middle Ages?" on tour at the Tournus Abbey

06/15/2019

After the Pont du Gard, the exhibition "What's New in the Middle Ages?" takes its summer quarters in the superb Abbey of Tournus.

Tournus Abbey is a former Benedictine monastery that celebrates its millennium this year. As part of the celebrations commemorating this millennium, the exhibition is on display until mid-September.


ECSITE 2019 in Copenhagen

06/09/2019

The Ecsite 2019 conference has just closed its doors after 5 intense days of pre-conference and conference, from June 4 to 8, 2019.

Ecsite's participation figures this year broke records: 1190 participants from 59 different countries!

This year was quite new for Universcience's participation: our establishment was a gold sponsor in order to properly celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Ecsite network of which Universcience is a founding member, this gave the establishment great visibility throughout the conference. The stand in the colours of Cabanes et Corps & Sport was a great success throughout the conference.

A beautiful 30th anniversary!


The exhibition "Edged On" is in Martinique

05/06/2019

After a successful presentation at the Bloomfield Science Center in Jerusalem, the exhibition crossed the Atlantic.

It is currently being presented at the Centre de Découverte des Sciences de la Terre located in Saint Pierre (Martinique, FWI), at the foot of Montagne Pelée, a beautiful venue for an exhibition dedicated to risk!

The exhibition will be on display until January 31, 2020.


The Voice at the Cité des télécoms

01/31/2019

From 11 February 2019, Bretons will be able to visit the exhibition The Voice at the Cité des Télécoms. The exhibition is set up for two years in the superb Radôme park located in Pleumeur Bodou in the Côtes d'Armor (Brittany)


Cats and Dogs at the Virginia Aquarium Center

01/15/2019

After a successful presentation at the Museum Valley in Kalamazoo, the exhibition continues its North American tour with a stop at the Virginia Aquarium Center until mid-September.

It will then fly to Vancouver where it will be presented at Science World.

2018

After New York, Bon Appétit stops in Nice

22/12/2018

After delighting more than 100,000 New Yorkers, it is now the turn of the people of Nice to discover the Bon Appétit exhibition, which is on display in the large glasshouses of the Phoenix Park in Nice until April 2019.


Cold at the Saline Royale of Arc et Senans

Following the success of the Cité des sciences et de l'industrie (more than 250,000 visitors), the exhibition will be presented from 23 November 2018 to 22 April 2019 at the Saline Royale d'Arc et Senans as part of the "C'est l'hiver à la Saline Royale" programme.


The exhibition What's New in the Middle Ages? presented at the Pont du Gard

11/15/2018

What's new in the Middle Ages? continues to tour and settles until April 30, 2019 at the Pont du Gard. Enriched with objects discovered and collected by INRAP in the region during preventive excavations, the exhibition should delight visitors who will be able to discover unknown aspects of this period.

The exhibition has already delighted more than 210,000 visitors in France.


Effets Spéciaux begins its tour in Bordeaux

10/13/2018

After attracting more than 400,000 visitors to Paris, the Special Effects exhibition begins its tour at Cap Sciences, Bordeaux.

It is presented there until June 2019.


How do you say Cats and Dogs in Portuguese? Cães e Gatos!

10/04/2018

Our exhibition Cats and Dogs is inaugurated on October 4th 2018, world animals day, at Pavilion of Knowledge in Lisbon.

It will be presented until September 2019.


Darwin the original in Mendoza (Argentina)

09/25/2018

To celebrate spring in the southern hemisphere, Tecnopolis Buenos Aires is travelling to Mendoza from September 20 to October 7, 2018 for an art, science and technology festival.

As part of his Argentinean itinerary, Darwin the original stops in Mendoza to be discovered by the public of the region.