Expo Drogues au Musée de l’Homme

Although drugs frequently make the headlines, the way the subject is covered can also convey many preconceptions. We invite you to deconstruct them through this new exhibition at the Musée de l'Homme!

Through an original and dynamic scenography, the exhibition invites critical reflection on drug use and the dangers of drugs. Across 650 m², you can discover a multitude of installations, objects from the collections, archives, testimonies and artistic creations from past and present…

Deconstructing the word "drugs"

Beginning with a wide variety of products, whether legal or illegal, natural or synthesised, the exhibition deconstructs the term "drugs" in favour of "psychoactive substances". From narcotics to products consumed every day, such as tobacco, tea or coffee, these substances all have one thing in common: they act on the central nervous system and the psyche. Whether they are classed as legal or illegal varies according to the product, the period, the society, the beliefs… You may be surprised to learn that our species is not the only one to consume them, or that the first traces of consumption date back to prehistory!

Social, health… and environmental issues

Starting from the observation that most human societies consume psychoactive substances, the exhibition questions their function. You will move through different contexts of use and discover varied patterns of consumption, among groups and among individuals: therapeutic experimentation, the need for social conformity, self-improvement and the optimisation of intellectual, sporting or military performance, hedonism, access to mystical worlds or artistic inspiration…

From producer to consumer, the exhibition retraces the circuits of psychoactive substances to highlight the effects of growing production on environments and societies, to address the issues linked to their circulation around the world, and to show the different marketing strategies used by sellers of legal and illegal products alike.