Silex and the City: the prehistory comic book exhibition at the Musée de l'Homme

The hippest family in prehistory is on show at the Musée de l'Homme: the Dotcom, characters created by cartoonist Jul for his comic strip Silex and the City, are at the heart of a fun and educational exhibition at the end of 2024. From September 11 to December 29, the artist will be revealing his creative secrets at the Foyer Germaine Tillion, in the museum on Place du Trocadéro.

The Musée de l' Homme spotlights the joyful, slightly cartoonish world of cartoonist Jul. With his comic strip Silex and the City, the first volume of which came out in 2009, the artist mixes past and present in this colorful little world. We follow the day-to-day lives of the Dotcom family and their neighbors, in a time that's long gone, yet seems very familiar. With his whimsical sense of humor, the cartoonist highlights the minor shortcomings of our times, transposing our questions into the daily lives of prehistoric man.

This exhibition goes behind the scenes of the creation of the Dotcom adventures: through drawings and plates, Jul lets us see his artistic process, the way he builds his universe, his stories, his characters... The artist explains how he creates his albums, and what references inspire him.

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Antoine Balzeau, paleoanthropologist at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, adds a new dimension to the exhibition. The scientist puts Jul's stories to the test, dismantling preconceived ideas about prehistory, and explaining some of the customs of the time.

How did art develop in prehistoric times? How did tribes relate to each other? How did animals become closer to humans? Using the collections of the Musée de l'Homme, Antoine Balzeau tells the story of prehistory as scientists know it today.

The dialogue between artist and researcher is full of surprises. For visitors, it's an opportunity to learn while having fun!