daniel arsham's 'moonraker' in paris celebrates archaeology of the future

daniel arsham presents his latest explorations of archaeology of the future with his newly opened ‘moonraker’ exhibition at the musée national des arts asiatiques guimet (MNAAG) in paris. the artist generates his latest series of emblematic sculptures from antiquity, to be displayed amidst the museum’s permanent collections, with unprecedented access to the molds from the réunion des musées nationaux — grand palais. the ‘moonraker’ exhibition, presented with the support of perrotin, is completed by the installation of a japanese zen garden in the rotunda on the museum’s fourth floor.

blue zen garden, detail, exposition personnelle au high museum, atlanta (USA), 2017 | © guillaume ziccarelli
all images courtesy of the artist & perrotin

with his paris ‘moonraker’ exhibition, daniel arsham curates his new series of sculptures to be displayed together with works from the permanent collection of the guimet national museum of asian arts (MNAAG). seeking to introduce a dialogue between eastern and western sculpture across time, the exhibition highlights the artistic diversity of these icons of art history from different chronological and geographical periods. visitors can appreciate their aesthetic and thematic similarities, as well as their diversity and ability to transcend eras and cultures.

lunar garden, détail, 2019 | © james law

commenting on his moonraker series, daniel arsham imagines the evolution of the works and their evolving state across thousands of years: ‘what does it mean when we have a sculpture from antiquity, which is familiar to us, that is now appearing before us made of blue calcite crystal and the date of this object is a thousand years in the future? we might project that the object has reformed over time, that an event or some natural geological evolution has altered it.’