PARIS.- The Mus閑 du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac is marking its 20th anniversary with the acquisition of "Refugee Astronaut XII" (2024), a sculpture by British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare that addresses migration, displacement, and the growing uncertainty of life in a world affected by conflict and climate change. Announced on October 22, 2026, the acquisition represents a significant addition to the Paris museum's collections and reinforces its commitment to bringing historical cultural heritage into dialogue with contemporary art.

The acquisition was made possible through the support of Shonibare and Galerie Mennour in Paris. According to the museum, the sculpture will soon join its permanent collection display, although a specific installation date has not been announced.

Standing 190 centimeters tall, the work depicts an astronaut equipped for an extraordinary journey. Rather than presenting a conventional image of technological progress and space exploration, Shonibare creates a figure burdened with possessions, suggesting someone who has been forced to abandon familiar surroundings in search of safety and a possible future elsewhere.

The sculpture combines fiberglass, Dutch wax fabric, netting, personal belongings, an astronaut's helmet, and lunar boots. Its richly patterned spacesuit contrasts with the dark helmet and the bundle of objects carried by the figure, bringing together visual references to space travel, cultural identity, and the practical realities of displacement.

The result is an image that operates on several levels. The astronaut may be understood as an explorer venturing into unknown territory, but also as a refugee whose journey is not entirely voluntary. The combination of these identities gives the sculpture its emotional and political resonance.

In announcing the acquisition, the museum emphasized the relationship between forced migration and the conditions that increasingly threaten communities around the world. Wars, humanitarian crises, and climate-related emergencies have made displacement one of the defining issues of contemporary life.

"Refugee Astronaut XII" invites viewers to consider what people choose to carry when circumstances force them to leave everything behind, and what remains of individual and collective identity when the familiar connections between people, places, and cultural traditions are disrupted.

These questions are central to the symbolism of the astronaut's belongings. The objects carried by the figure become more than equipment for a journey; they suggest the memories, experiences, and personal attachments that accompany people when they leave their homes.

The use of Dutch wax fabric is equally significant to the sculpture's visual identity. The brightly patterned material, closely associated with Shonibare's artistic vocabulary, transforms the familiar appearance of a spacesuit into something that invites reflection on culture and belonging.

In this work, the fabric introduces a visual language that resists the standardized image of the space explorer. Instead, the astronaut becomes a figure carrying a cultural history into an unfamiliar environment.

Yet the sculpture is not solely concerned with hardship. The museum also presents the astronaut as a symbol of imagination, exploration, and the possibility of discovering new horizons.

Space travel, traditionally associated with technological ambition and human achievement, becomes a metaphor for envisioning a different future. Shonibare brings this sense of possibility into contact with the realities of forced migration, producing a work that balances uncertainty with hope.

The acquisition also carries particular institutional significance because of Shonibare's longstanding relationship with the Mus閑 du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac.

In 2007, just one year after the museum opened, Shonibare became the first contemporary artist to receive a solo exhibition at the institution. Nearly two decades later, the acquisition of "Refugee Astronaut XII" marks a new chapter in that relationship.

By incorporating the sculpture into its permanent collection, the museum is extending its commitment to presenting contemporary artistic responses alongside works from earlier periods and different cultural traditions.

This approach reflects a broader interest in how museum collections can contribute to discussions about the present. Rather than treating cultural heritage exclusively as evidence of the past, the institution seeks to establish connections between historical objects, contemporary creative practices, and the social questions facing audiences today.

The themes explored in "Refugee Astronaut XII" make the sculpture particularly relevant to this ambition. Questions of migration, identity, and cultural exchange are closely connected to the ways societies understand their histories and imagine their futures.

The work also challenges conventional distinctions between the refugee and the explorer. Both figures undertake journeys into uncertain territory, yet the circumstances surrounding their movements may be dramatically different.

By combining them into a single sculptural figure, Shonibare invites viewers to reconsider the assumptions attached to mobility, freedom, and belonging.

The astronaut's journey is therefore both literal and symbolic. It evokes the possibility of travel beyond Earth while confronting the reality that many people are compelled to move across borders simply to survive.

For the Mus閑 du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, the acquisition offers an opportunity to address these issues through an artwork that brings together recognizable imagery and complex cultural questions.

As the institution celebrates two decades since its opening, "Refugee Astronaut XII" stands as a statement about the continuing relevance of contemporary art within museum collections. The sculpture connects the histories people inherit with the challenges they confront today, while leaving open the possibility of a different future.

"Refugee Astronaut XII" (2024) will be incorporated into the permanent collection display of the Mus閑 du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in Paris. The acquisition was made possible with the support of Galerie Mennour and the artist.