VIRTUAL MUSEUM
Description of Micro-Folie Collections
COLLECTION #1 AND #2
The museum is a place dedicated to preserving and showcasing works of art. Permanent collections are open to visitors, but museums also host temporary exhibitions featuring works from other museums or private collections. Since its inception in the late 18th century, the museum concept has evolved significantly. Today, as demonstrated by the virtual art gallery at the heart of Micro-Folie, new media (video, sound, etc.) enhance the museum experience, providing a broader sensory engagement.
The intellectual and behavioral codes associated with museum visits are not innate, which is why awareness and mediation are essential. The desire, joy, and appreciation of encountering artworks develop through regular museum visits from early childhood. For children to acquire these cultural codes, it is a profound matter of personal development, identifiable through three main areas:
1. Art as Human Expression: Art can be defined as the sum of expressive and representational forms created by humans, while culture represents the shared or unique values of a social group. Accessibility fosters education for both the public and future citizens.
2. Encouraging Curiosity: Encountering art is a powerful way to ask questions, express emotions, and learn. Cultural mediation aims to facilitate and enable these interactions.
3. Broadening Artistic Horizons: Introducing people to artistic culture through museum access fosters openness to diverse artistic forms. This public service mission led to the creation of the Digital Museum.
NATIONAL COLLECTION #3
The new National Digital Museum Collection features masterpieces and treasures from 12 of France’s leading national institutions:
• Beaux-Arts de Paris
• Bibliothèque Nationale de France
• Centre des Monuments Nationaux
• Centre National des Arts du Cirque
• Centre National des Arts Plastiques
• Musée d’Archéologie Nationale-Domaine Saint-Germain-en-Laye
• Musée National des Arts Asiatiques-Guimet
• Muséum national d’Histoire Naturelle
• Numeridanse
• Odéon-Théâtre de l’Europe
• Radio France
• Service Interministériel des Archives de France
HAUTS-DE-FRANCE COLLECTION #4
The Hauts-de-France Collection is the first regional digital museum collection, highlighting the richness and diversity of museums across a region that hosts over 85 museums in France. The collection showcases an exceptional cultural heritage, spanning fine arts, modern and contemporary art, science and technology, natural history, archaeology, and ethnography.
MUSEUM COLLECTIONS
Around a Collector (Musée Boucher-de-Perthes / Musée Benoît-de-Puydt) - Around an Artist (Musée départemental Matisse) - Around a Theme (Musée de la Nacre et de la Tabletterie / Musée des Figurines / Musée de la Céramique)
FINE ARTS COLLECTIONS - Chronological Periods (From Prehistory to today) - Masterpieces (Musée Condé / Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille / Musée des Beaux-Arts d’Arras) - Dürer’s Apocalypse Cycle (Musée du dessin et de l’estampe originale) - Contemporary Works (Video, in-situ artworks, performance, design – Frac Grand Large) - Art Brut (LaM)
NATURAL HISTORY COLLECTIONS - Butterflies and Beetles (Musée des Papillons) - Wildlife in Their Natural Habitat (Musée Boucher-de-Perthes / Musée d’histoire naturelle de Lille) - Geology (Musée d’histoire naturelle de Lille) - Earth Science Collections (Musée d’histoire naturelle de Lille)
ETHNOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS – European - Non-European: Alaska and Oceania (Musée de Boulogne-sur-Mer / Musées de la ville de Compiègne / Musée d’histoire naturelle de Lille) - Science and Technology (Musée d’histoire naturelle de Lille)
ARCHAEOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS - Discovering an Ancient Site: Excavated objects, 3D reconstructions (Forum antique de Bavay) - Greece, Rome, Gaul (Musées de la ville de Compiègne / Musée de Soissons / Musée archéologique de l’Oise) - Archaeological Collections (Musées de la ville de Compiègne / Musée de Soissons / Musée archéologique de l’Oise)
FOCUS ON THE HISTORY OF HAUTS-DE-FRANCE - Mining Past and Industrial History: Everyday objects, artistic representations (Musée d’archéologie et d’histoire locale de Denain) - Festivals and Traditions (Musée de l’Hospice Comtesse)
EUROPEAN ROYAL RESIDENCES COLLECTION #5
The Micro-Folie network, in partnership with the Network of European Royal Residences, has created its first international collection. This collection, encompassing 20 residences from 12 countries, introduces visitors to the history of Europe’s most prestigious palace museums.
Through 350 artworks and objects, rediscover European history and its monarchs, from Louis XIV to Sisi, from the Spanish kings to the Russian tsars.
Since 1995, the Network of European Royal Residences has brought together institutions responsible for managing Europe’s grandest palace museums. Today, the association comprises 27 institutions managing over 90 castles across 15 countries.
For more information: http://www.europeanroyalresid
MEXICO COLLECTION #6
As part of the Eldorado project, celebrating Mexico’s rich heritage, the Micro-Folie network launched its sixth digital museum collection in partnership with Mexico City’s Museum of Modern Art and the National Museum of Anthropology. This collection immerses visitors in Mexico’s history and artistic masterpieces, from the Maya and Teotihuacan to Frida Kahlo and David Alfaro Siqueiros.
QUEBEC COLLECTION #7
T his international collection, developed in collaboration with the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Musée de la Civilisation, provides an anthropological and artistic reflection on Quebec’s history.
This marks the first partnership between Quebec’s Ministry of Culture and Communications and Micro-Folies.
EUROPEAN UNION COLLECTION #8
Developed as part of France’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the European Union Collection brings together works from 30 prestigious institutions across the 27 member states.
With support from the Institut Français, this collection showcases over 500 multidisciplinary works from antiquity to the present day, with three main objectives:
• To discover or rediscover the masterpieces of Europe’s great institutions.
• To highlight France’s cultural influence within these collections and vice versa.
• To showcase Europe’s artistic diversity and its openness to the world.
PARIS COLLECTION #9
The museums of Paris have assembled an extraordinary collection of over a million artworks, reflecting an exceptional diversity and quality. These collections bear witness to the history of Paris, the evolution of its heritage, its great figures, and, more broadly, the role of art and culture in the city’s development.
Located between the Champs-Élysées and the Eiffel Tower, the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris is an exceptional, emblematic palace of 1930s architecture and one of France’s largest modern and contemporary art museums. Opened to the public in 1961, its collection of over 15,000 works showcases the major movements in modern and contemporary art.
The museum features a broad spectrum of artworks from the 20th century to today, with major figures in art history, such as Picasso, Dufy, Modigliani, Derain, Picabia, and Chagall, as well as Boltanski, Parreno, and Peter Doig. The museum also boasts several exceptional in-situ works, including Raoul Dufy’s monumental masterpiece, La Fée Électricité.
CORSICA COLLECTION #10
The Corsica Collection, composed of 500 works, is structured around four main themes:
NATURAL HERITAGE: Whether on land, at sea, or in plant life, this collection invites visitors to explore Corsica’s natural heritage in all its forms. It also highlights the impact of both ancient and contemporary works on the environment and raises awareness of conservation issues.
HISTORY AND GREAT FIGURES: Paintings, sculptures, furniture, and relics tell the story of the people who have shaped the history of Corsica and Europe.
ARCHITECTURE AND HOUSING: From religious heritage to rural traditions and contemporary housing, Corsican architecture is rich, diverse, and influenced by multiple styles.
CONTEMPORARY CORSICA: Corsica has long been a muse for great artists and a source of inspiration. This collection showcases the dynamic creativity of young visual and performing artists.
LOIRE VALLEY CHÂTEAUX COLLECTION #11
This collection offers the opportunity to explore eight exceptional castles and estates, most of which are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The châteaux featured in this collection are true symbols of French art, telling not only the story of architectural history but also the lives of those who inhabited them.
The collection brings together leading figures of contemporary art, including Sophie Calle and Peter Cook, as well as unique ceramic artists like Nicolas Rousseau. These works resonate with museum collections that feature painting masters such as Velázquez and Monet, whose importance is undeniable.
With a rich religious heritage of international renown, the collection also invites visitors to explore the region’s two main cathedrals and discover liturgical artifacts, complemented by magnificent illuminations.
A special focus has been placed on the region’s biodiversity and conservation efforts.
To make performing arts more accessible, the collection includes four full-length recordings of plays by Shakespeare
and Marivaux, as well as choreographic works by Maud Le Pladec, offering an introduction to contemporary dance.
AUVERGNE-RHÔNE-ALPES COLLECTION #12
Unprecedented connections between worlds that rarely or never intersect can be built. The Regional Fashion and Textile Arts Collection of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, showcased here, is precisely such a bridge.
Its creation has made it possible to bring together 31 museums, heritage institutions, and artisanal workshops, true treasuries of know-how.
Performing arts also play a role in this initiative, featuring major designers, their creations, and contemporary art contributions through the FRAC-Auvergne.
This diverse collection allows both the residents of the region and users of the Musée Numérique de France to gain a deeper understanding of the often lesser-known trades that make Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes a center of excellence. From Lyon’s silk industry to Puy-en-Velay lace, Saint-Étienne ribbons, Moulins’ CNCS theatrical costumes, and the Resistance uniforms of the Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation de l’Ain, this collection, at the crossroads of art, technology, and industry, holds numerous surprises and marvels.
ÎLE-DE-FRANCE COLLECTION #13
The Île-de-France Collection aims to provide insight into the unique identity of the region through the diversity of artistic and cultural creations.
With 370 works, this collection does not claim to exhaustively represent the historical, geographical, and human richness of the region. Instead, it was carefully curated in collaboration with artists and creators, structured around nine themes that explore transformations, movements, creations, productions, personalities, and locations that have left their mark on the memory and present identity of the region.
SPORT COLLECTION #14
Developed in collaboration with the Musée National du Sport in Nice, this collection features 250 works from 20 partner institutions.
To best represent different sports disciplines, the collection pays tribute to iconic figures who continue to inspire younger generations through both their achievements and the values they embody.
The collection showcases major moments and records in sports history, as well as items belonging to legendary athletes such as Michael Jordan, Pelé, Suzanne Lenglen, Nadia Comaneci, and Usain Bolt.
A strong emphasis is placed on female athletes and, more broadly, the role of sports in women’s emancipation. At the heart of the collection is art in all its forms: from ancient Greek games to contemporary artistic interpretations of football, and including non-European perspectives on sports—various eras and cultures interact and influence one another.
Additionally, the collection highlights the importance of sports in everyday life.
IMPRESSIONIST COLLECTION #15
Created as part of the Normandie Impressionniste Festival, which celebrates 150 years of Impressionism, this collection invites visitors to trace the history of a major artistic revolution.
Observe the rising and setting sun, from Boudin’s Sunset (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York), through Monet’s legendary Impression, soleil levant (Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris), to Pissarro’s Sunrise in Eragny (MuMa – Musée d’Art
Moderne André Malraux, Le Havre).
Admire the shades of light in Monet’s cathedral series (Musée des Beaux-Arts, Rouen).
Dance to Renoir’s Bal du moulin de la Galette (Musée d’Orsay, Paris) or Manet’s Bal masqué à l’Opéra (National Gallery of Art, Washington).
This collection asks: How did society evolve 150 years ago, and where is it headed today?
Though Impressionism may seem distant to us, it was actually a witness to the birth of our modern society.
Now, more than ever, this collection resonates with the 21st century, a time of technological and social transformations similar to those of 1874.
By bringing together masterpieces from major national and international museums, the Micro-Folie network allows visitors to immerse themselves in the adventure of these pioneering artists, who liberated painting from academic constraints to express emotions on canvas, while documenting a period of profound change.
GRAND EST COLLECTION #16
The Grand Est Collection aims to showcase the region and the periods it has lived through.
It testifies to the richness and diversity of its heritage, whether in the form of museums, written archives, architecture, or intangible cultural heritage.
To achieve this, the DRAC Grand Est collaborated with libraries, archives, historical records, and performing arts organizations.
The Grand Est region was created in 2016 through the merger of Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne, and Lorraine, areas with distinct traditions, cultures, and histories.
It is essential that the selected works reflect both the diversity and the shared heritage of the region.
FULL-LENGTH PERFORMANCES
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (ballet)
L’Île des esclaves (Island of Slaves, theater performance – in French)
Le Marchand de Venise (The Merchant of Venice, theater performance – in French)
Les Serpents (The Serpents, theater performance – in French)