À la BnF, des merveilles de cartes pour imaginer des mondes nouveaux
The Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) is presenting an exhibition of extraordinary maps that blend imagination with cartography, tracing the evolution of maps from ancient tools of navigation to fantastical creations that fueled exploration and myth. The show features rare works including Renaissance sea monsters, cosmological paintings, and literary maps from Tolkien's Middle-earth and George R.R. Martin's Westeros, alongside contemporary artists like Alighiero Boetti, Sergio Aquindo, and Michael Druks who use maps to express personal and political visions.
This exhibition matters because it reframes cartography as a creative, subjective art form rather than a purely scientific instrument, revealing how maps have historically shaped human imagination, utopian dreams, and cultural narratives. By highlighting the intersection of art, literature, and geography, the show underscores the enduring power of maps to inspire wonder and challenge our perception of reality, offering a timely antidote to a world that often feels fully mapped and controlled.