Societies

human theatre

“What do we do?” Human beings are migrants who come together, stop for a while and form societies, cultures and civilizations, which rise and fall as order is built and then toppled by unexpected or disruptive events. This exhibition looks at these processes through the lens of three constant factors: organisation, exchange and creation.

Visitors can explore collections from cultures and eras that are far apart, but, when presented side by side, produce meaning and awaken curiosity. With the freedom to move from exhibit to exhibit in any order, visitors can interpret and experience them in their own way.

The exhibition route

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Organising

Organising life in a community involves structuring territory. Representing an area means appropriating and measuring it, in order to take possession of it. Several major themes are addressed in this space: organising territory but also civil, military and religious powers.

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Exchange

An essential part of social life, exchange is built on trust, altered through confrontation, and enriched through the transmission of knowledge and techniques. It takes on various forms that are interwoven in the subtle relationships between population groups or individuals, including cultural, monetary, scientific and technical exchanges.

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Creating

Human beings define themselves as faber and sapiens. Sometimes leaping and othertimes crawling forward, they innovate in order to adapt and shape their environment. This requires them, among other things, to use their knowledge and know-how to extract the materials they need to improve their living conditions from the environment; an area in which Lyon and the surrounding area have illustrated themselves on many occasions.

Scientific Committee

Alban Bensa, anthropologue
Jean-Pierre Dupuy, philosophe des sciences
Olivier Faron, historien
Frédéric Kletz, chercheur en management des organisations
Denise Pumain, géographe
Victor Sanchez, ingénieur en sciences physiques
Claudine Schmidt-Lainé, ingénieure et mathématicienne
Thierry Valentin, anthropologue

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