French Literature Reviews - 2026
Xavier Greffe, Anne Krebs-Poignant, Poétique du patrimoine. Entre Narcisse et Ulysse
Art and Visual Culture
Just published:
The contemporary landscape of cultural heritage reflects a striking diversity of situations. The intense focus on iconic sites is broadening alongside a growing prevalence of vernacular and private references. Furthermore, data digitization superimposes a distinction between the real and the virtual upon the traditional divide between tangible and intangible heritage, opening the door to numerous interpretations. Financial pressures increasingly enlist cultural heritage in the service of various dimensions of sustainable development, or even reduce it to a mere instrument. Meanwhile, the continuous growth in the number of designated heritage objects thinly masks the silent fading of neglected heritage assets.
Our modern interactions with heritage serve as profound experiences, yet their outcomes remain entirely unpredictable. Some, acting like Narcissus, will do little more than catch a glimpse of their own reflection in the pool. Others, like Ulysses, will seek to draw resources that enhance their understanding of the world and their actions, living the experience through catharsis or a sustained sense of fulfillment. Depending on whether we respond to the attention heritage commands or strive to share it with others, these odysseys can lead us just as easily to a market of illusions as to a workshop of creativity. In a world where machines and artificial intelligence increasingly shape our experiences, a heritage odyssey offers us pathways for questioning ourselves and our societies. By shattering conventional temporalities, it brings new worlds into being.
Xavier Greffe is Professor Emeritus at Université Panthéon-Sorbonne and President of the association Patrimoine sans Frontières. His recent publications include A economia artisticamente criativa (Iluminuras, São Paulo), The Artist-Enterprise in the Digital Age (Springer, Tokyo), and Arts et argent (Economica, Paris).
Anne Krebs-Poignant is Head of Socioeconomic Studies and Research within the Research and Collections Department at the Musée du Louvre.
Discussions surrounding cultural heritage frequently engage with broader themes in cultural policy, museum studies, and the sociology of the arts. As digitization and economic pressures transform how societies interact with historical artifacts and vernacular sites, scholars often examine the tension between institutional preservation and market-driven imperatives. The intersection of heritage studies with digital technologies and sustainable development represents a well-established area of inquiry within the contemporary humanities, reflecting changing institutional frameworks and evolving public expectations.
The contemporary landscape of cultural heritage reflects a striking diversity of situations, involving vernacular and private references alongside iconic sites. Data digitization introduces a distinction between the real and the virtual, while financial pressures increasingly connect cultural heritage to sustainable development. Xavier Greffe is Professor Emeritus at Université Panthéon-Sorbonne and President of the association Patrimoine sans Frontières, and Anne Krebs-Poignant is Head of Socioeconomic Studies and Research within the Research and Collections Department at the Musée du Louvre. Readers interested in cultural policy, museum studies, and the shifting dynamics of heritage preservation may find this study relevant to their pursuits.