SKIN TALKS An exhibition that will leave an imprint Smugglerius William Pink After Carlini for William Hunter Plaster 1834 (original 1775) Photo: Jacques Lessard It comes in many colors; it can be hairy or bald, smooth or rough. We caress, wash, and pamper it. We put makeup on it, sculpt it, tattoo it, pierce it, incise it, burn it, and grow it. We flaunt it and we hide it. It’s skin! The largest, most visible, and most important organ in the human body. Starting today, Musée de la civilisation in Québec City presents Skin Talks, an exhibition that runs until August 31, 2003. Skin has been a hot topic for a number of years now. It is the subject of advanced dermatological and psychological research. Scientists examine and reconstruct it to better understand and treat it. Tattooing, piercing, and scarification have never been bigger. Even anthropologists and philosophers ponder over this organ, which has become much more than a simple envelope for the body. Skin Talks, which takes a deeply human perspective, is one of Musée de la civilisation’s exhibitions that puts science front and center. It looks at skin from the perspective of its vulnerability through the themes of identity and boundary, which complement more than contradict each other. Human skin is shown to be the interface between the inside of our bodies and the world around us. Another exhibition in the spirit of the museum For this fascinating journey from the surface of the skin to the depths of the human soul, the Peaux tatouées (fragments) France XIXe centurie Human skin Photo: Jacques Lessard museum proposes a blend of art, science, and anthropology built around prestigious European and American collections. At the exhibition opening, the executive director of the museum, Claire Simard affirmed that “this exhibition is faithful to Musée de la civilisation’s particular style. The choice of unusual subject matter, the original and bold approach to form and content, and the presentation’s esthetic appeal are all qualities that make Skin Talks an exhibition that is sure to leave its imprint on the museum community.” Jochen Zaumseil, president of L’Oréal Canada, the presenting sponsor of the exhibition, stressed that “for L’Oréal, Skin Talks was a natural match. Through our research, we have accumulated so much knowledge of the skin that we were very interested in sharing it—particularly with a museum like this one, which is a genuine laboratory of ideas. In fact, L’Oréal would like to extend its partnership with Musée de la civilisation in Québec City so that this wonderful exhibition can be enjoyed by people throughout the world.” Skin as Identity Skin has a remarkable social and cultural dimension. It is the link between nature and culture—two essential elements of our identity. Nature has endowed skin with characteristics that make it unique (pigmentation, hairiness/baldness, shape, etc.). But humans themselves play a role, adding a personal touch to this fleshy surface (makeup, tanning, epilation, bodybuilding, tattooing, piercing, scarification). By blending culture with nature, skin becomes a communication tool and an instrument of our appearance, affirming both our individual and collective identities. Vanity Greco-Roman period Ve-Ie centuries b.C Travertine, marble and bronze Photo: Jacques Lessard Skin as Boundary Skin is also a boundary between us and the world around us. As a protective barrier, skin is vulnerable because it reveals our physical imperfections and emotions and feelings, like so many physiological weaknesses or psychological ills. The skin’s appearance (color, age) can also become an obstacle to social relations when confronted with people blinded by prejudice or easily influenced by first impressions. Finally, as a symbol of integrity, skin is the bridge between science and technology in its desire to transform the human body into a flawless machine and individuals torn between their conflicting desire for longevity and humanity. An unusual mix of exceptional objects At the very entrance to the exhibit, the astonishing Smugglerius—flayed man—(William Pink, plaster, 1834) perfectly integrates the notions of art, nature, and science and confronts visitors with the issue of modern identity. The more the visitor explores this room, the more the issue of integrity is raised and transformed, oscillating between everyday and exotic practices, ancient and contemporary techniques, and initiation and symbolic rituals. Visitors will discover the images they have internalized or rejected, conventions and rules they have denied or accepted, and science and technology as effective as it is controversial. Grouped around specific yet linked themes, objects of various origins and uses (art, anthropology, and science) serve as clues to help visitors understand what skin can express or the things we try to make it say. Here, ancient objects, contemporary works of art, and scientific artifacts intermingle and cohere to form an impressive thematic collection. Photographs by well-known artists (Miguel Ribeiro, Roberto Pellegrinuzzi, Zhang Huan, Leon Levinstein); contemporary three-dimensional works (Le Couple de la scarification by Ousmane Sow, Le Cri de la peau by Reiko Kruk, Femme by Ruth Richard and the installation L’Obscénité de la surface by Daniel Canogar); classical works of art (Édouard Debat-Ponsan’s Le Massage, scène de hammam—which is making its first ever appearance in North America—and Rodin’s She who was the Helmet-maker’s Beautiful Wife and The Kiss); and remarkable objects from ancient and modern times (makeup palettes, hand mirrors, makeup or perfume bottles, hair curlers, lipstick containers, etc.) are skillfully displayed to illustrate the various themes. Visitors will not want to miss the collection of personal hygiene and skincare articles items from Deutsches Hygiene-Museum in Dresden (Germany), which are presented here for the first time in North America. Other items include impressive plaster casts from Musée des moulages de l’Hôpital Saint-Louis (Paris) and a tattooed and mummified Maori head from the Museum d’histoire naturelle in Lyon. Celle qui fut la belle heaulmière Patined plaster 1887 Platre patiné Photo: Jacques Lessard An enveloping atmosphere With its diaphanous veiling the exhibition and the magnificent objects it contains are presented in a sober thoughtful manner thatis as sensitive as it is sensual. The brilliant lighting of this exhibition evokes the subtle colors and nuances of skin. The layout of veiling in the room is inspired by the convolutions of a fingerprint and marks the path taken by visitors. The prelude to the exhibition invites visitors to embark on a remarkable sensory experience filled with sensations that will reach them on both a physical and figurative level—a rain of delicate threads, whispered testimonials murmured in visitors’ ears… words that touch, skin talks. Skin Talks, an exhibit that will leave an imprint on the museum community! The Musée gives you its word! At Musée de la civilisation in Québec City, from November 27, 2002, to August 31, 2003. A L’Oréal presentation—with the special collaboration of three L’Oréal brands, Biotherm, Vichy, and L’Oréal Paris—and with the participation of Hôtel Dominion 1912, Radio-Canada, Le Soleil, and the Deutsches Hygiene-Museum of Dresden (Germany). Informations: Serge Poulin, [418] 643-2158 Relations publiques et communications Issued : November 26, 2002

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