Vodou through Haitian eyes at the Canadian Museum of Civilization

MEDIA RELEASE

For immediate release

Gatineau, Quebec, November 1, 2012 — There are only 14 days left before the powerful new exhibition exploring the beliefs and rituals underlying the complex spiritual tradition known as Vodou opens at the Canadian Museum of Civilization.

Presented for the first time in Canada at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, Vodou features more than 300 objects from the Marianne Lehmann collection. This collection has been presented internationally and is recognized as one of the world’s most important collections of Vodou objects.

“Canadians have a rare opportunity to see how Vodouists experience and understand their own spiritual tradition,” says Mark O’Neill, President and CEO of the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation.  “This exhibition does not draw on the popular images of Vodou manufactured by Hollywood; it provides authentic and comprehensive insight into the history and continuing impact of Vodou practices in daily life, with explanations provided by Vodouists themselves.”

The exhibition is the product of a collaboration between the Museum of Civilization and the Fondation pour la préservation, la valorisation et la production d’œuvres culturelles haïtiennes, in partnership with the Musée d’ethnographie de Genève in Geneva, Switzerland, and the Tropenmuseum in the Netherlands.

The Museum of Civilization gratefully acknowledges the contribution of the Embassy of Haiti in Canada for supporting this exhibition.

Vodou will be presented at the Canadian Museum of Civilization from November 15, 2012 to February 23, 2014.

A travelling version of the exhibition will also be available to Canadian and American venues through the Museum’s Travelling Exhibitions Service.

The Canadian Museum of Civilization is the centre for research and public information on the social and human history of the country. Located on the shores of the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Quebec, the Museum is Canada’s largest and most popular cultural institution, attracting over 1.2 million visitors each year. The Museum of Civilization’s principal role is to preserve and promote the heritage of Canada for present and future generations, thereby contributing to the promotion and enhancement of Canadian identity.

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