Museum Directors in Conversation

Collection Histories of the musée du quai Branly: Rethinking Museums of Civilisations in the 21st Century

Tuesday, 10 February 2026, 7–8pm
Ngee Ann Auditorium
Asian Civilisations Museum

This event is free.
Registration (with $10 refundable deposit) required.
Click here to register


Drawing on the history of non-Western collections in France and his experience as President of the musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, Emmanuel Kasarhérou reflects on how collections from Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas were formed, interpreted, and displayed over time. He considers how museums of civilisations are being reshaped in the 21st century, addressing questions of colonial legacy, restitution, shared knowledge, and dialogue with source communities.

Following his presentation, Mr Kasarhérou will be joined by ACM Director Clement Onn for an engaging dialogue and audience Q&A.


About the musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac
A national museum in Paris dedicated to the arts and civilisations of Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas, the musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac houses one of the world’s largest collections, with over 370,000 objects. Through its permanent galleries, research initiatives, and temporary exhibitions, the museum fosters cross-cultural dialogue and offers new perspectives on global heritage in a contemporary context.


About the speakers


Emmanuel Kasarhérou is President of the musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, a position he has held since May 2020. He previously served as director of the Museum of New Caledonia, dedicated to Kanak culture and the wider Pacific region. In 1994, he joined the Agency for the Development of Kanak Culture as Cultural Director, overseeing the development of the Tjibaou Cultural Centre, which opened in 1998, and later served as its General Manager from 2006 to 2011. Kasarhérou joined the musée du quai Branly in 2011, where he curated Kanak. L’art est une parole and served as Senior Curator and Deputy Director of Heritage and Collections before his current appointment.



Clement Onn is the Director of the Asian Civilisations Museum and the Peranakan Museum. His research focuses on cross-cultural exchanges between Asia and Europe in the 16th to 18th centuries, with an emphasis on trading networks and the spread of Christianity across Asia. He has curated major exhibitions such as Christianity in Asia: Sacred Art and Visual Splendour and Manila Galleon: From Asia to the Americas, advancing the museums’ mission to deepen understanding of Asia’s cross-cultural histories and their relevance to Singapore’s multicultural society.