Revolting Hunting Trophies: Art Orienté Objet at the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature

This essay examines an exhibition by the French artist duo Art Orienté Objet at the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, Paris, during 2013-2014. It considers how interventions of contemporary art presented amongst this historical hunting collection during the exhibition provided opportunities to address current ecological concerns such as species loss. Today, hunting museums face the challenge of remaining relevant and appealing to visitors, when hunting trophies are often viewed as distasteful, conflicting with modern-day sensibilities acutely attuned to the threats facing wildlife. The Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature has responded by making key changes to displays as part of a major renovation completed in 2007, which included the commissioning and presentation of contemporary art amongst the museum’s collection. This essay examines this curatorial strategy in action in the Art Orienté Objet exhibition. It demonstrates how the display of artworks that employed craftivist tactics and blurred the boundaries between species provided opportunities for catalyzing debate about hunting and engaging visitors with contemporary ecological concerns in the context of this historical hunting collection.