Paris, 5 September 2011
The musée Guimet will soon open an exhibition entitled “The red book of C.G Jung – tales of an inside journey”, running from 7 September to 7 November.
The famous Red Book, also known as Liber Novus (Latin for “new book”), was written by Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961) between 1914 and 1930. Towards the age of forty, Jung recorded his dreams and visions in what was to become one of the most important historical and psychological works of all time. For over fifty years, the book was guarded in a bank safe. Presented in 2009 in the USA and in 2010 in Switzerland, the book will be welcomed for the first time in France and will be accompanied by preparatory notebooks, sketches, paintings and sculptures; all of which Jung produced himself. These elements come from private collections, the Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung in Zurich and the Foundation of C.G. Jung for Analytical Psychology in New York.
Jung showed great interest for the Indian, Tibetan, Chinese and Japanese worlds, as well as for Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism. Through his tastes for the world’s various cultures and mythologies, Jung shared many similar opinions with Emile Guimet, who initially founded a museum of religions. Therefore, works from the museum will also highlight Jung’s interest in the Far East.
In order to explain the exhibition, a conference will be held on Monday 19 September in the museum’s auditorium. The theme will be “Asia in the mind of the intercultural Carl Gustav Jung: aspects of an encounter” and will be animated by Christine Maillard, professor at the University of Strasburg.