The circulation of information and goods, the development of transport, the internationalisation of the western model of consumption, and also the search for alternatives to that model, all these effects of globalisation are helping to facilitate or generate an intensification of migration flows. And yet, the main reasons that push people to migrate remain (socio-economic situations, conflict and violence, policies), and the same applies to the reasons why immigration is needed (economic or demographic). The number of migrants has increased quickly: 77 million in 1965, 111 million in 1990, 140 million in 1997, 175 million in 2000 (2.8% of the world’s population), 281 million in 2020 ( 3.6% of the world’s population (UN), i.e., for a total population of 7.7 billion, 1 out of every 30 people.
The possibility, or not, of being able to cross borders determines the type of migration. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, most East/West migrations took a pendular form, meaning short-term migrations, enabling a back-and-forth between homeland and country of immigration. Nowadays these also involve “privileged” migrants from the southern Mediterranean, and those who enjoy a special status (dual nationality, multiple-entry visas, business owners, entrepreneurs, intellectuals). On the other hand, restrictive visa policies are encouraging migrants to settle for the long-term, afraid that they will no longer be able to return to the country and bring their family there. Hence, paradoxically, border-closing policies are leading migrants to settle, whereas a relatively open border policy would help avoid, or at least reduce, long-term stays.
From the 1920s, André and Ivanna Lemaître devoted themselves to the monumental decoration of religious buildings (frescoes or mounted paintings). Their career started in Toulouse, where they decorated two chapels: at the Notre-Dame de la Charité convent (1924) and at the Institut Catholique ( la Trinité ). It continued in the Paris region with, in 1929, decoration of the triumphal arch at the Église Sainte Jeanne d’Arc in Meudon (the paintings have now disappeared). In 1932-1934, they painted a large fresco for the Chapelle du Travail in the Église du Saint-Esprit (Avenue Daumesnil, Paris 12th arrondissement): l’Eglise par ses papes, ses clercs et ses laïcs , which combines Sainte-Bernadette in Lourdes, Pope Pius IX proclaiming the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, the first Vatican council, and the curate of Ars. And in 1945, they created the fresco for the triumphal arch at the Église Sainte-Hélène (Rue du Ruisseau, Paris 18th arrondissement), on the life of the saint and her son, Emperor Constantine. In 1931, they received their first civil order: the frescoes in the Salon Lyautey (or Salon Asia) at the Palais de la Porte Dorée, on the theme of the artistic and spiritual contributions made by Asia. The colours are soft, dominated by yellows and ochres, and the illustrations sinuous, echoing Eugène Printz’s furniture. To the left of the entrance, three spiritual masters preside (Buddha, Confucius, Krishna), and to the right, a caravan of elephants makes its way carrying riches from Asia; the other walls cover the themes of the arts (dance, music, sculpture) and Vedic legends (prior to Hinduism) with the four elements. A set of preparatory drawings for this project is kept at the Musée du Quai Branly - Jacques-Chirac. In 1933, the Lemaîtres received an order from the City of Paris: six large fresco panels for the preschool on Boulevard Davout; they feature a scene with the puppet Guignol, landscapes, children’s games (the decor is now gone, only the sketches have been kept). In 1935, the two artists received another order from the State (although the order was in Ivanna’s name, it was doubtless carried out by the two of them): two large paintings destined for the conference room at the École Nationale des Arts et Métiers: Le don du feu aux hommes and Paris (travaux publics) ; they were installed at the end of 1937. The two compositions, with their powerful style, in a colour range dominated by blue, are directly in line with the decor of the Asia Salon at the Palais de la Porte Dorée.
The Palais de la Porte Dorée was built between 1929 and 1931 based on plans and a project designed by the architect Albert Laprade (1883-1978), who turned it into one of the emblematic monuments of Art Deco architecture, a true total work of art, where the decorative elements (furniture and decor) have as much importance as the architectural elements.
A sculptor recognised for his monumental decors in the inter-war period, Alfred Auguste Janniot was the author of the bas-relief that graces the entire facade of the Palais de la Porte Dorée across a surface of over 1,130 m², a real technical feat achieved in under two years.
1931: Creation of the Tropical Aquarium to coincide with the Colonial Exposition The Tropical Aquarium was set up in the Palais de la Porte Dorée, designed by the architect Albert Laprade , on the occasion of the 1931 Colonial Exposition. The exhibition commissioner, Maréchal Lyautey, wanted to provide residents of metropolitan France with a lasting display of the diversity of aquatic fauna in the country’s colonies. During the year 1934, the pit in the middle of the Aquarium was developed like one of Albert Laprade’s own decors, with the help of a sculptor. Ornamental pools and fake rocks were used to create a “bush corner” inhabited by crocodiles, turtles, monkeys and African birds. Science and entertainment were skilfully interwoven, under the aegis of the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle. The establishment consisted in a marine aquarium, a freshwater aquarium and a terrarium for keeping reptiles, along with a “product gallery” exhibiting the industrial exploitation of certain species (tortoiseshell, crocodile skins, corals…). The project was very ambitious: lavish decors, tanks with painted bottoms and glass mirrors of a size hitherto unseen… Implementing it proved fairly complex: the work was delayed and continued after the site had been inaugurated, but the Aquarium was one of the highlights of the show. 1939 to 1984: Difficult years While great attention was paid to the Aquarium from 1934 to 1938, World War 2 was a disaster for the establishment: mobilisation of staff, frequent power cuts, water heating shut off, no tank maintenance, food shortages… Following this dark period, new specimens arrived at the Aquarium, brought back by colonial administrators, among others. The most celebrated among them were the adult Nile crocodiles who arrived in 1948, thanks to Professor Théodore Monod, a renowned scientist who was director of the Institut Français d’Afrique Noire at the time. The last crocodile from the original group lived until 2010. In 1960, the future of the Tropical Aquarium tropical was uncertain, relations with the Ministry of Cultural Affairs under André Malraux were not easy. Its success nevertheless allowed it to keep going, with visitors flocking to the gates of the Palais. After a period of stagnation, a new era began in 1968 that sounded the death knell for the economic and utilitarian colonial outlook. The dioramas presenting the use of colonial waters were taken down and replaced by new aquariums, on either side of the turtle terrarium. A “neutral” presentation was adopted based on geographic and aesthetic criteria. However, despite this major change in orientation, the decline continued, through a lack of resources and involvement. To the extent that in 1984, there was really no choice left: should the Aquarium be closed or should major renovation work be undertaken? 1984: A new youth Under the impetus of Michel Hignette, the renovation of the Aquarium was launched. The work has been staggered since then, implemented gradually but without closing the establishment. The main goal initially was to improve the animals’ living conditions, without affecting the historical value of the place, a large part of which dates from 1931. A bigger tank was installed instead of the three old ones, while the original large windows were kept: thereby greatly increasing the living space for the fish. The aim was also to improve water quality. New filters, tested on-site, enabled invertebrates (shrimp, coral…) to be displayed in an artificial seawater aquarium, which was something brand new. The gradual control over water quality and realisation of the educational value of an aquarium had a deep impact on the place. A real selection of species could happen. Each tank is now designed with the Aquarium’s general and educational organisation in mind. The Tropical Aquarium today The collection counts around 4,400 animals and 350 species, although these figures vary constantly depending on breeding, mortality, exchanges with other public aquariums, purchases and donations. At present, the 84 tanks show visitors the variety of tropical marine and freshwater aquatic species. The Aquarium plays an awareness-raising role in relation to its audience with the goal of sensitising them to the beauty, wealth, fragility and necessary protection of these natural environments.
On March 17 1920, a law was passed approving the organisation of an interallied exposition in Paris in 1925 with the creation of a permanent museum of the colonies. Gabriel Angoulvant, governor general of the colonies, was named general commissioner of the exposition, the main goal of which was to legitimise colonisation in the eyes of the French, who were sceptical about colonial action, which they knew little about and viewed as costly and pointless. No specification was given as to the exact nature and content of the museum, which was to have an immediate educational purpose, read like a page from the “ great book of the Colonies ” and symbolise the vast colonial empire, to quote Marcel Olivier, author of the general report on the international colonial exposition. In 1926, Léon Jaussely was appointed Chief Architect of the Exposition and tasked with the construction of the Museum. It took seven years to obtain approval for the principle of a colonial exposition in Paris; it would take another eleven years for the International Colonial Exposition to see the light of day. One of the first problems to come up in producing the exposition was its location. After moving from the Bois de Boulogne to the Champ de Mars and then to Vincennes, the Bois de Vincennes was definitively chosen in 1926. Through that decision, the organisers wished to be seen as initiating new urban planning in the east of Paris thanks to the completion of the no. 8 metro line.
At the heart of the Palais de la Porte Dorée, the function room – now known as the Forum – is impressive for its size, its unique architecture and the richness of its décor. Built for the 1931 International Colonial Exhibition, it bears witness to the architectural ambition of the Palais and the context of colonial propaganda that underpinned its creation.