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| La Cité internationale de la bande dessinée et de l'image | |
|---|---|
| Name | La Cité internationale de la bande dessinée et de l'image |
| Established | 1990s |
| Location | Angoulême, Charente, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France |
| Type | Museum, archive, cultural center |
La Cité internationale de la bande dessinée et de l'image is a major French institution dedicated to the preservation, study, and promotion of comics and visual narrative arts, located in Angoulême. It operates as a museum, archive, and cultural hub that connects creators, publishers, scholars, and the public, linking local heritage with international movements in sequential art, illustration, and graphic novels.
The institution grew out of initiatives associated with the Angoulême International Comics Festival, the revival of regional cultural policy in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and municipal planning by the City of Angoulême and Charente (department). Early proponents included figures from the Centre national du livre, advocates linked to the Ministry of Culture (France), and curators inspired by models such as the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art. Planning and fundraising brought together stakeholders from the European Union, local councils, private patrons, and foundations including parallels to the Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain and the Fondation du patrimoine. The site opened to the public after renovation of historical buildings, aligning with urban renewal programs similar to projects in Bordeaux, La Rochelle, and Clermont-Ferrand.
The complex integrates restored heritage buildings and contemporary additions commissioned from architects influenced by precedents like the Centre Pompidou, the Louvre Pyramid, and adaptive reuse projects in Paris and Lyon. Facilities include exhibition galleries, conservation laboratories comparable to those at the Musée d'Orsay, public reading rooms inspired by the Bibliothèque publique d'information, and storage vaults meeting standards set by the International Council on Archives and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. The campus houses administrative offices, a bookstore modeled on specialist outlets found near the Quai Branly Museum, and educational studios for workshops informed by practices at the National Art Center, Tokyo and the Museum of Modern Art.
Collections encompass original artworks, proofs, sketches, and publications spanning pioneers and contemporaries: items relate to creators such as Hergé, Alexandre Dumas (illustrator), Jean Giraud, Moebius, François Bourgeon, Félix Vallotton (illustrator), Enki Bilal, Jacques Tardi, Sergio Toppi, Riad Sattouf, Marjane Satrapi, Chris Ware, Bill Watterson, Osamu Tezuka, Eiichiro Oda, Hergé (Georges Remi), Tintin, Asterix (character), and connections to publications like Pilote (magazine), Métal Hurlant, Spirou (magazine), Charlie Hebdo (magazine), and The New Yorker. Thematic exhibitions have referenced movements and works including bande dessinée, graphic novel, manga, cartooning, and historical references to events like the World War I era prints, while showing comparative material from American underground comix, British comic book history, and Franco-Belgian comics traditions. Temporary shows have highlighted archive loans from institutions such as the Bibliothèque nationale de France, private collections of creators like Hergé, estates such as Georges Remi estate, and publishers including Éditions Dargaud, Les Humanoïdes Associés, Glénat, Dupuis, and Casterman.
The research unit collaborates with universities and institutions like Université de Poitiers, Université Bordeaux Montaigne, École supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris, and research centers in Brussels and Quebec City. It supports doctoral projects tied to departments of comparative literature and visual studies, cooperating with the Institut national d'histoire de l'art and the Centre national de la recherche scientifique. Archival activities follow conservation protocols used by the Archives nationales (France) and the International Council on Archives, and staff engage in cataloguing compatible with the Bibliothèque nationale de France data models. Educational programs range from school partnerships with the Académie de Poitiers to professional training for curators and conservators patterned after programs at the École du Louvre and international residencies akin to those at the Cité internationale des arts.
The institution programs exhibitions, conferences, artist residencies, and festivals tied to the Angoulême International Comics Festival, as well as publishing initiatives comparable to those of Futuropolis and Actes Sud. Public offerings include workshops for youth modeled on outreach by the Centre Pompidou, guest lectures featuring authors from Japan, Belgium, United States, and Iran such as Osamu Tezuka and Marjane Satrapi, and symposiums that attract scholars from Harvard University, University of Oxford, Sorbonne University, and McGill University. Partnerships and touring exhibitions have linked the institution with venues like the Musée de la Bande Dessinée d'Angoulême and international museums including the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo.
Governance involves municipal authorities of Angoulême, regional bodies such as the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regional Council, national agencies including the Ministry of Culture (France) and the Centre national du livre, and collaboration with private publishers like Dargaud and Glénat. Funding sources combine public subsidies from the Ministry of Culture (France), grants from the European Union, sponsorships from cultural foundations akin to the Fondation BNP Paribas, and revenue from ticketing, retail, and publication sales. Management structures reflect models used by the Musée national Picasso-Paris and cooperative frameworks similar to partnerships between the Bibliothèque nationale de France and cultural operators.
Category:Museums in Nouvelle-Aquitaine Category:Comics museums