The National Museum of Natural History invites you to discover the biodiversity of tropical rainforests. They are spread across four continents – Asia, Oceania, South America, Africa – and are home to more than half of the world’s known animal and plant species. Jungle in the process of enlightenment gives an overview of this wealth through a journey with characteristic, spectacular or unusual species – fearsome cats, amazing frogs, huge flowers – in the form of glowing lanterns.
A nighttime walk for young and old full of beautiful and unusual surprises. Cyril Roguet, director of the Jardin des Plantes and project manager of the exhibition, and Géraldine Véron, scientific curator of the exhibition with a focus on wildlife and cats in particular, were our fascinating guides.
Franceinfo Culture: After highlighting endangered species (2018), the oceans (2019), the evolution of life (2021) and the tiny fauna (2022), offer a walk in the tropical rainforests.
Cyril Roguet: For the fifth edition we have chosen a theme that is in line with the exhibition Cats (in the museum until January 7, 2024) and Predator season in the Paris Zoological Park. Jungle in the process of enlightenment East CIt is designed as a traditional exhibition for which scientists have selected the species to be preserved and written the associated labels to educate the visitor about the peculiarities of biodiversity. We compiled photographic and documentary data on each species that were submitted to the Chinese designers of the China Light Festival. What follows is a ping-pong game between our partner and the scientists to validate each of the elements before starting production of the light lanterns. These are unique creations, almost like haute couture, designed especially for us in Sichuan by these local artisans for whom this is their core business. They use the know-how of traditional lanterns to create light paths. Everything is then transported to Paris to be assembled here in the Jardin des Plantes.
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Why focus on the biodiversity of these forests?
Geraldine Veron: automobile These are the natural environments with the highest biodiversity of plants and animals and sometimes endemism in certain areas.
Which forests will we pass through on this evening walk?
Geraldine Veron: The journey begins in India, whose jungle was made famous by Rudyard Kipling in 1894 Jungle Book. We then broke down the route by geographical region to show the large groups of tropical forests that exist on several continents: After India, we move on to Southeast Asia, particularly Borneo, which we illustrate with its mangroves. We then cross New Guinea, this island with very strong endemism and great biodiversity, and then we head to the Amazon forest, a rather characteristic gallery of humid and dense tropical forests. Then we continue to the African continent with Madagascar and tropical Africa. During this nocturnal journey there are different atmospheres and, above all, the feeling of walking through the jungle, with sound and projections for better visualization.
Which forest do you like best?
Geraldine Veron: I have a fondness for Southeast Asia, where, for example, the proboscis monkey lives, an animal that I particularly like. It’s a pretty strange primate, endemic, very strange, with that big nose. The latter is thought to play a role in the males’ cries, which it would enhance by giving them a certain resonance, making them more sonorous and thus attracting females. The proboscis monkey is quite large, quite calm and lives in groups.
What are the other unusual animal encounters along the route?
Geraldine Veron: For example, we have depicted a slightly less well-known cat: the fishing cat. It’s pretty incredible because people think that cats don’t like water when in fact they are able to dive to catch their prey, often fish, but also small aquatic animals and land prey. This cat has the typical characteristics of aquatic animals: a slightly longer head, slightly webbed feet, good claws and sharp, pointed teeth useful for eating fish. It does not have a very long tail as it is not necessarily the best in swampy and aquatic environments. It is not a very large cat, it measures 60 to 80 centimeters without the tail and lives in Southeast Asia.
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There is also a very strange species in the Amazon, a practically transparent glass frog. Through the animal we can see its organs: this makes it very discreet and even more transparent towards predators; its red blood cells return to its liver, so they are not visible in vegetation.
The route also ends with an endangered species symbol. These tropical forests, despite their diversity and important role as the lungs of the planet, are also very fragile. Both plants and animals are threatened, like this family of western lowland gorillas. An endangered species, it is a powerful symbol of this fragility and an important message to conclude this journey into the tropical forests.
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Which plant species should not be missing?
Geraldine Veron : In the spectacle there is the Arum Titan. An absolutely incredible, gigantic plant that blooms every ten years. This year we were lucky enough to see a flower in the greenhouse (the Jardin des Plantes). The latter is very short and very rare, lasting 72 hours. The Arum is shown in different stages of its development. It measures 3.5 meters.
There are also plants here that are less spectacular but really belong to the decoration of these tropical forests. So mangrove trees are incredible trees with huge roots that come out of the water: they live in the earth, in the air and in the water. These trees are characteristic of the mangrove. They are of great importance in tropical forests and brackish water edges as they play a buffering role between the terrestrial environment and the sea. This is crucial in these climatic times of rising water levels as it limits erosion and the risks of deterioration of further indoor spaces, for example in the event of tsunamis. Everyone plays their role in their forest.
We also see spectacular flowers like this orchid with the strange shape of a butterfly on which sits a praying mantis, an insect that also has the shape of a flower. These are great things, very spectacular and enriching at the same time!
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How was the selection of the fauna and flora shown here made?
Geraldine Veron: We proceeded in stages. First, we thought about the topic with the scientific teams. We stuck to a majority of mammals and vertebrates. We wanted to focus on a specific number of interactions between animal species and plants to show how these very rich ecosystems work. We wanted to show that it is an environment that is not as uniform as it seems – a very green area with large trees and many species – because there are very different things and diversity in these environments.
We show iconic characters that we couldn’t escape and others that we wanted to highlight because they are less known and interesting, such as the fishing cat, the armadillo and the okapi.
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How did the scientists work with the China Light Festival company?
Geraldine Veron: Once the species are selected, you need to find suitable images to send to the China Light Festival. These artisans create each scene but make artistic choices in the types we offer. For these productions, we discuss the relevance with you: We scientifically check whether positioning, shape, colors, interactions and geographical area correspond well. Once we all agree, they create. The lanterns are delivered as a kit and assembled here.
“Jungle in the Process of Enlightenment” in the Jardin des Plantes in Paris.
The production process for the “Jungle on the way to lighting” event at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. – (PARISIAN PLANT GARDEN)
How many lanterns are installed? Are any of them animated?
Cyril Roguet: There are more than a hundred structures, it is huge, including about twenty animated ones. We added sound equipment – playing the sounds of tropical forests – as well as projections on the floor and a little surprise on the greenhouse side!
Geraldine Veron : The peacock is spectacular with its animated, color-changing tail, just like the color-changing chameleon. This animal has the peculiarity of catching its prey by rolling out its tongue and throwing it at the prey. There’s this animation that shows his robbery.
When did this project start?
Cyril Roguet: The project began in February 2023. There was a phase of designing the museum path until June, then the Chinese company started production from mid-July to September. The bodies were delivered from mid-October and assembly took four weeks. During the exhibition’s eight-week presentation, part of the China Light Festival team will be on site to carry out paint touch-ups and small repairs. It’s normal, we’re outside.
What will become of these structures?
Cyril Roguet: Our approach is environmentally conscious as the metal structures are reclaimed by our Chinese partner and used to build other structures! The entire power grid of these creations is illuminated with low-consumption LED lamps. In addition, we have limited the days of operation, this year it is only 48 days in a shorter 4-hour period.
“Jungle in the Process of Enlightenment” at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris from November 22nd to January 21st, 2024. Place Valhubert. 75005 Paris. Wednesday to Sunday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. During school holidays from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. (including December 25th and 31st and January 1st). Closing on December 24th. Price: 15 to 18 euros.
