Renovated and expanded after eight months of closure, the musée Bourdelle, which is just a few minutes from la Belle Juliette and not far from our other hotels, has just reopened with this surprising exhibition exploring the role of models in art.

Are they just utilitarian objects, or objects of desire? Here’s all the info.

The staff of the Hôtel Design Sorbonne loved their visit to the musée Bourdelle a while ago, and not that the museum has been renovated and enlarged, we think it’s time to go back!

The exhibition Silent Partners – Artist & Mannequin from Function to Fetish explains the role of models in art since the 18th century, and the move from utilitarian use to subject over the years.

Models were initially used as stand-ins for real people whose faces would be added later, then photography more or less made them redundant and they became subjects in and of themselves.

Even inanimate, there’s something spooky about them…

Organised together with The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, you’ll be able to look at nearly 160 exhibits, including images by Chirico and Man Ray.

Teenage vsitors can take part in a guided visit and attend an “Autportrait / Autofiction” workshop afterwards (selfies?), and an official catalogue is also available (50€ here chez amazon.fr).

The exhibition Mannequin d’artiste, Mannequin fétiche is at the Musée Bourdelle (here) until 12th July 2015

Open every day except Mondays from 10am – 6pm

Admission: 9€ / 6€ (the permanent collection is free)

Website: www.bourdelle.paris.fr