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Institut du monde arabe

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Arab World Institute
Institut du monde arabe
معهد العالم العربي
Map
Established30 November 1987 (1987-11-30)
Location1 Rue des Fossés Saint-Bernard, 75005 Paris, France
Typeforeign cultural institute
Collections
Islamic Art
Visitors411,715 (2017)
DirectorAnne-Claire Legendre
PresidentAnne-Claire Legendre
Public transit access
Websiteimarabe.org

The Institut du monde arabe (French: [ɛ̃stity dy mɔ̃d aʁab], Arab World Institute; abbr. IMA) is an organisation founded in Paris in 1980 by France with 18 Arab countries to research and disseminate information about the Arab world and its cultural and spiritual values. The Institute was established as a result of a perceived lack of representation for the Arab world in France, and seeks to provide a secular location for the promotion of Arab civilisation, art, knowledge, and aesthetics.[1] The building houses a museum, library, auditorium, restaurant, offices and meeting rooms.

The members of the Arab World Institute

History

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The IMA is located in a building known as the Institut du Monde Arabe, the same name as the institute, on Rue des Fossés Saint Bernard in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, France.[2] Originally, the project was conceived in 1973 by President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.[1] The museum was constructed between 1981 and 1987 under the presidency of François Mitterrand as part of his urban development series known as the Grands Projets.[1] The Institute promotes cooperation and exchanges between France and the Arab nations, particularly in the areas of science and technology, contributing to the understanding between the Arab world and Europe. Libya joined the institute in 1984. The IMA was inaugurated on 30 November 1987 by President Mitterrand.[3]

The IMA is a member of the Forum of Foreign Cultural Institutes in Paris and Exchanges and Radio Productions (EPRA). It is sometimes nicknamed the “Arab Beaubourg”, in reference to the Georges Pompidou National Centre for Culture and Art, known as the Beaubourg Centre.[4] The building was renovated between 2014 and 2017; during this time the library was closed, and it reopened to the public in March 2017.[5]

In 2016, the IMA opened a branch in Tourcoing.

The director of the institute is French-Iraqi poet Chawki Abdelamir [fr].[6] French politician Jack Lang was president of the institute from 2013 until his resignation in 2026, after allegations of his financial ties to Jeffrey Epstein were reported.[7] He was replaced by Anne-Claire Legendre, the first female president of the IMA.[8]

Architecture

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Impression of the metallic brise soleil seen from the inside out

The building was constructed from 1981 to 1987 and has floor space of 181,850 square feet (16,894 m2). The Architecture-Studio together with Jean Nouvel, won the 1981 design competition.[9] This project is a result of funds from both the League of Arab States and the French government, with the cost of the building totalling around €230,000,000.[10] The building acts as a buffer zone between the Jussieu Campus of Pierre and Marie Curie University (Paris VI), built in large rationalist urban blocks, and the Seine. The river façade follows the curve of the waterway, reducing the hardness of a rectangular grid and offering an inviting view from the Sully Bridge. At the same time the building appears to fold itself back in the direction of the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district.

In contrast to the curved surface on the river side, the southwest façade is an uncompromisingly rectangular glass-clad curtain wall. It faces a large square public space that opens in the direction of the Île de la Cité and Notre Dame. Visible behind the glass wall, a metallic screen unfolds with moving geometric motifs. The motifs are actually 240 photo-sensitive motor-controlled apertures, or shutters, which act as a sophisticated brise soleil that automatically opens and closes to control the amount of light and heat entering the building from the sun. The mechanism creates interior spaces with filtered light — an effect often used in Islamic architecture with its climate-oriented strategies. The innovative use of technology and success of the building's design catapulted Nouvel to fame and is one of the cultural reference points of Paris.

The building was the recipient of the 1989 Aga Khan Award for Architectural Excellence. Jury members included historian Oleg Grabar.[10]

Presidents

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Museum

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Raghunath Manet performing at the IMA in 2008

Within the museum are objects from the Arab world ranging from before Islam through into the twentieth century. One of the main initiatives within the museum is the inclusion of special exhibitions.

Special exhibitions

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View of special exhibition, Osiris: the submerged mysteries of Egypt. Fall/2015 - Spring/2016
The first room of the 2025 exhibition Saved Treasures of Gaza: 5000 Years of History

The Institut's library is the largest collection of works on the Arab world in France, with over 100,000 documents.[5]

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Michel Houellebecq sets a pivotal scene in his novel Submission at a reception held in the Institute's rooftop restaurant and terrace.[14]

Awards

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In 2018, the IMA won the Cultural Personality of the Year from the Sheikh Zayed Book Award.[15]

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 3 Lipstadt, Helene (1989). "Review: Les Grands Projets "Paris 1979-1989" in New York". French Politics and Society. 6: 43.
  2. ↑ "Institut du monde arabe". Institut du monde arabe. Retrieved 2016-12-05.
  3. ↑ "Musées - L'IMA, la vitrine parisienne du monde arabe -Ministère des Affaires étrangères-". archive.wikiwix.com. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  4. ↑ Valérie Devillard (2000). Architecture et communication: Les médiations architecturales dans les années 80. Information et communication (in French). Paris: Université Panthéon-Assas. p. 54. ISBN 2-913397-16-6..
  5. 1 2 Soulié, Elodie (28 March 2017). "Paris : l'Institut du monde arabe rouvre son exceptionnelle bibliothèque" [Paris: The Arab World Institute reopens its exceptional library]. Le Parisien (in French). Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  6. ↑ "Hommage au directeur général de l'Institut du Monde Arabe, Chawki Abdel Amir, à l'ambassade d'Irak". Arab News (in French). 2024-07-02. Retrieved 2026-04-27.
  7. ↑ "Affaire Epstein : visé par des perquisitions, Jack Lang fait ses adieux à l'Institut du monde arabe". France 24 (in French). Agence France-Presse. 2026-02-16. Retrieved 2026-04-27.
  8. 1 2 Saeed, Saeed. "Emmanuel Macron opens Byblos exhibit in Paris as necropolis and other Lebanese treasures arrive mid-conflict". The National. Archived from the original on 2026-03-24. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  9. ↑ Fitchett, Joseph (1989). "Window on the Arab World". Aramco World. 40: 20–29. Archived from the original on 2016-12-20 – via Web.
  10. 1 2 "Institut du Monde Arabe | Aga Khan Development Network". www.akdn.org. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
  11. ↑ "Exhibitions". Institut du monde arabe. 2016-07-01. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
  12. ↑ "100 chefs-d'œuvre de l'art moderne et contemporain arabe". Institut du monde arabe. December 8, 2016.
  13. ↑ Azimi, Roxana (2026-03-19). "Display cases remain empty at Paris exhibit disrupted by Lebanon war". Le Monde. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
  14. ↑ Roth, Marco (October 2015). "Among the Believers". Harper's Magazine. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  15. ↑ "Arab World Institute". Sheikh Zayed Book Award. 2018.
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