ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how the separation between art and knowledge provides a context for thinking about the relationship between the tangible and the intangible. Laïcité is a principle that many people find hard to understand, but it is one of the basic tenants of French public space. The use of multimedia applications on three different levels in the permanent exhibition has been translated as a way for conveying the intangible heritage surrounding the collections. The displays employ the black background and spotlight effect emphasising the formal and aesthetic dimensions of the objects; again, little reference is made to the post-contact cultural transformations of Native American cultures. The River is a long and narrow path traversing the four continental areas and demarcated by thick walls covered in light brown leather. The former acts are a transparent barrier between the busy quai Branly road and the museum's world garden. The political aspects of intangible heritage were raised in several interviews.
