We, the Rivers Exhibition in Lyon

Nous, les Fleuves. We, the rivers. The latest temporary exhibition in the Musée des Confluences in Lyon (France) is important to us for more than one reason.

About a year ago, Virgile Caspar from the museum contacted us to ask if we would consider licensing our maps. They really liked our colourful river basin maps and thought they would be perfect for their upcoming exhibition. After researching the museum, we were honoured and gladly accepted their offer.

The museum is impressive both inside and out. Designed by the internationally renowned firm Coop Himmelb(l)au, the building is a wonderful piece of modern architecture, located at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers. Rather than being an art museum, it is a museum of knowledge, boasting various permanent and temporary exhibitions, mostly in the field of cultural anthropology. These exhibitions connect art, history, science and culture to help us understand the wonders of our world.

The exhibition Nous, les Fleuves teaches us about the wonders of rivers, from their birth and journey through landscapes to their role in our everyday lives and their significance throughout the centuries. It reveals both their power and their fragility. As you step inside, the lighting creates an eerie atmosphere that successfully imitates the feeling of being underwater. As you walk further, you feel as though you are flowing with the river and visiting all the places it passes through.

Photo credit: Sylvestre Bénard, used with permission.

The centrepiece of the section about confluences is our giant river basin map of the world, alongside a beautifully sculpted terrain model of a river basin - the remarkable creation of Sylvestre Bénard. Using 3D projection and sound, the model illustrates how watersheds function and their significance in the lives of all living beings. Together, the map and the model form a whole; one would be less without the other. This is an excellent example of the many great solutions you can find throughout the exhibition.

This exhibition is closer to our hearts than the others in which our maps have played a part. From the day we received our invitation in September, we asked for your help so that we could take part in the inauguration ceremony. Although we never reached our original Ko-fi goal, we raised much more money than we expected and left just in time to arrive in Lyon a few hours before the programme started. It was also the first time we had seen our work displayed at an exhibition, even though Robert has been creating these maps for six years and has already licensed them for several museums around the world. Furthermore, this map is one of the largest Grasshopper Geography maps ever printed, measuring 4.5 metres in height and approximately 6 metres in width, which adds significantly to its value.

Seeing people standing in front of our work, pointing and telling stories, was a humbling experience and an extraordinary feeling. We will be forever grateful to everyone who helped make our trip possible. Thank you.

'Nous, les Fleuves' is open until 27 August 2023, and thanks to the bilingual signs and descriptions, it can be enjoyed by French-speaking and English-speaking audiences alike. Visit the museum's page to find out more.

If you'd like to watch a video about the exhibition, we recommend this FranceTV article.

Photo credit: Sylvestre Bénard, used with permission.