The Chinese passport
client Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées de France (C2RMF) • Centre de recherche sur la conservation des collections (CRCC) • Centre d’études sur la Chine moderne et contemporaine (UMR 8173 Chine, Corée, Japon, CNRS-EHESS) • École française d’Extrême-Orient (EFEO) • 2015
project Graphic design and production of exhibition panels at the Musée des Cordeliers de Saint-Jean d’Angély devoted to the study and restoration of a Chinese passport
original name of the exhibition Le passeport chinois
see as well >>> Chinese papers
The Musée des Cordeliers in Saint-Jean-d’Angély preserves a 1931 Chinese safe-conduct pass: it was issued to a group of men from the Citroën Expedition who, between 1931 and 1932, crossed Asia from Beirut to Beijing, the famous Croisière Jaune (Yellow Cruise). This document was restored, studied, and exhibited during the 2015 Heritage Days.
The project involved creating educational panels to accompany the original documents. To make fairly technical information more accessible, I used very fine portraits taken during the expedition. Furthermore, the color red punctuates each panel and acts as a visual thread throughout the exhibition: in addition to the titles and information about the documents, a vertical word reminiscent of Chinese seals gives each panel its theme.
