Dans Ma Peau: Skin throughout the ages.

The perception of skin has evolved throughout the ages and differs according to culture. However, it is, and always has been, a universal reflection of our emotions.

« The skin reveals both who we are and what we feel » – Fabrice Aghassian.

Our face in particular, reveals in a split second a multitude of information about who we are: age, sex, ethnic origin, emotions...How we decorate our skin speaks volumes about what we value. Tattooing the skin or using makeup to hide or emphasize particular assets are not only defining individual characteristics: they also allow us to control the information delivered by our skin.

What is special about skin? What does skin represent for an ethnographer?

Fabrice Aghassian, ethnographer, shares his expertise of skin through a fascinating interview that you will find above. Fabrice Aghassian has conducted numerous international ethnographic studies on cosmetic uses around the world. He is the author of Beautés Sacrées, an exploration of body care in the Mediterranean cultures that saw the birth of the three biggest monotheistic religions.

Want to learn more about the skin? Rendez-vous from March 13 to June 3, 2019 at the Musée de l'Homme in Paris for an immersive journey – mixing sensory experiences, projections and novel devices – that takes us to the depths of our skin.

About Beautés Sacrées: published by Les éditions du Cerf in France (French text).

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