National Museum of Natural History
From December 10, 2016, to May 16, 2017, the National Museum of Natural History is expanding its special "bear" program and welcoming nature photographer Vincent Munier. Around sixty exceptional photographs showcase brown and white bears in their wild habitats in Russia and the Canadian Arctic. This immersive, poetic exhibition in the heart of the Jardin des Plantes complements the "Bear Species" exhibition in the Grande Galerie de l'Evolution.
Presentation of the exhibition
"A forest without bears is not a real forest," said Swiss naturalist Robert Hainard. And today, everyone agrees that an ice floe without bears is not a real ice floe either.
This exhibition invites visitors to discover the world of bears, both brown and polar, through the unique lens of photographer Vincent Munier. It took several years to compile these images, taken in locations ranging from the Arctic ice of Canada and Spitsbergen to the wild forests of Finland and even the shadow of the volcanoes of distant Kamchatka.
Even today, bears remain mythical creatures that captured the imagination of our ancestors and have found their way into our tales and legends. They are the ultimate wild animals, sometimes inspiring fear. This fear is useful, however, as it encourages us to keep our distance and show respect. Following in the footsteps of the photographer, let us take small steps to enter the intimate world of bears...
A few words from Vincent Munier
Brown bear (Ursus arctos)
"Kamchatka!"That name had long resonated within me, like a call from afar, from those unspoiled and inaccessible lands. When I set foot in this earthly paradise for the first time, I was overcome with powerful emotion. Tears of joy welled up in my eyes. Following in the footsteps of Japanese photographer Michio Hoshino, I immersed myself in the vast landscapes of Kamchatka and set out to encounter the most illustrious representative of its exceptional wildlife, which I had already had the chance to observe in Slovenia and Finland: "Kobalann," the bear in the language of the Evenks of Siberia."...
Polar bear (Ursus maritimus)
"Finally, here I am in the Canadian Arctic! Beneath the wings of the small plane, the last Inuit villages disappear into the vast white expanse. So many preparations, flights, and checks before I could finally live my dream: to be alone at the end of the world, in the land of the Arctic wolf and polar bear. […] Here, as a photographer, I prefer to keep my distance from the bear: this giant is much stronger than me. "Nanuk" is a wandering god in Inuit mythology, a symbol of power and courage. I am aware that I am constantly on his territory and he almost haunts my thoughts: when my sled brakes behind me or gets stuck, I often imagine a bear putting his paw on it, as if to say to me:"Hey, where do you think you're going like that?"...
