The museum

Exhibitions

The temporary exhibitions offer an opportunity to question preconceived notions in our perpetual goal to better understand history and the contemporary world.

Two forms of exhibition exist: those that favour the relationship to the city – whether it is historical or societal – and those that question Nantes’s relationship to other territories. Often in tandem with major institutions, national (or international) museums, they offer an occasion to reveal objects rarely seen by the public.

Whether using objects obtained via collection drives, or through the museum’s own collections, the “expositions de territoire” return to key moments in the city’s history, and in the local population’s relationship to Nantes. As a result, the public was able to discover Nantaises au travail – about work in the city; Nantais venus d’ailleurs – about foreigners who made Nantes their home; En guerres, 1914-1918 / 1939-1945, Nantes / Saint-Nazaire ­–about the World Warsand Rock ! Une histoire nantaise ; LU, un siècle d’innovation ; L’abîme. Nantes dans la traite atlantique et l’esclavage colonial
With the museum’s acquisition policy, these exhibitions correspond to its singular spirit as an institution that has continually evolved and questioned itself since its creation. They have allowed for new museum rooms to be opened as well as for certain themes to be developed throughout the itinerary.

The curators of certain exhibitions on the relationship between Nantes and the world have been instituted by the museum’s management. This was the case, for example, with La Soie & le Canon FRANCE-CHINE (1700/1860) in 2010, and with Samouraï, 1 000 ans d’histoire du Japon in 2014.
Others were established in partnership with international museums, like: Icônes, trésors de réfugiés, in partnership with the Byzantine and Christian Museum in 2016, Les Esprits, l’Or et le Chaman, in partnership with The Museo del Oro in Colombia in 2017, Nous les appelons Vikings, in collaboration and coproduced with The Swedish History Museum in Stockholm and MuseumsPartner in Austria in 2018 or Amazonie. Le chamane et la pensée de la forêt, an exhibition of the MEG, the Geneva Museum of Ethnography, presented in 2019.

Since 2007, 30 exhibitions have been opened to the public, 6 of which have been labelled “of national interest” by the French government. 

exhibition

Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849)

28 June to 7 September, 2025

exhibition

Chevaliers

From October 19, 2024 to April 20, 2025

exhibition

Ivresse de l'encre

From July 06th, to September 22th, 2024

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Gengis Khan

From October 14, 2023 to May 5, 2024

exhibition

Expression(s) décoloniale(s) #3

From 13 May to 12 November 2023

exhibition

Inde

From 15th October 2022 to 23rd April 2023

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AAM AASTHA

2nd july to 31 december 2022

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L'abîme

16 October 2021 to 19 June 2022

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Expression(s) décoloniale(s) #2

Until November 14th 2021

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Toshihiro Hamano. Esprit et forme du Japon

July 03rd — September 12nd 2021

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LU

From June 27, 2020 to May 16, 2021

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Amazonie

From 15 june
to 19 january 2020

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Rock !

February 24th 2018 — November 10th 2019

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Cimarron

February 02nd — April 14th 2019

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Nous les appelons Vikings

June 16th — November 18th 2018

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Expression(s) Décoloniale(s) #1

April 28th — November 04th 2018

exhibition

Les 47 Rônin

October 21st 2017 — January 07th 2018

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Les esprits, l'or et le chaman

July 01st — November 12nd 2017

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Aux origines du surréalisme

February 11st — May 28th 2017

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Icônes

July 02nd — November 13rd 2016

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Tromelin

October 17th 2015 — April 30th 2016

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Flamands et hollandais

May 30th — August 30th 2015

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Jean-Émile Laboureur

January 17th — May 17th 2015

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Samouraï

June 28th — November 11st 2014

exhibition

Présentation du reliquaire d'Anne de Bretagne

April 08th — May 18th 2014

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À l'école de la guerre

January 25th — April 20th 2014

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En guerres

February 23rd 2013 — February 23rd 2014

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L'Austria, une tragédie dans l'Atlantique

June 15th — November 11st 2012

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Nantaises au travail

February 11st — May 20th 2012

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Nantais venus d'ailleurs

April 02nd — November 06th 2011

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La Soie & le Canon

June 26th — November 07th 2010

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Jorj Morin, Nantes et la pub

February 06th — May 02nd 2010

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La mer pour mémoire

April 04th — September 27th 2009

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Mozart au Château

January 22nd — February 22nd 2009

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Miroir, mon beau miroir

October 04th 2008 — January 04th 2009

exhibition

Anne de Bretagne

June 30th — September 30th 2007

exhibition

France, Nouvelle-France

March 09th — June 10th 2007