The first visitors to Maison Gainsbourg “struck by the power of the place”

report This Wednesday, the Gainsbourg House and Museum opened their doors to the public

Visitors stand in front of “Maison Gainsbourg,” the home of French singer, songwriter and actor Serge Gainsbourg, on the day it opens to the public in Paris on September 20, 2023. — AFP

• The historic house and the Gainsbourg museum opened their doors to the public this Wednesday, rue de Verneuil, in Paris.
• The historic house of Serge Gainsbourg can be visited thanks to an original soundtrack created by Soundwalk Collective in collaboration with Charlotte Gainsbourg. The museum is dedicated to the history and work of Serge Gainsbourg.
• 20 Minutescollected visitors' first impressions.

< p>“It’s quite moving, I don't know what to say. It’s impressive the side’ esthete father, all the objects, we can't imagine someone living there. » Julien has difficulty coping; find the words. The thirty-year-old and fan of Serge Gainsbourg since his adolescence has just left, this Wednesday noon, the Maison and Musée Gainsbourg which opened their doors to the public on rue de Verneuil, in Paris. Paris. Julien was able to discover the home of the author ofJe t’aime moi non plus, in sound immersion, guided by the voice of Charlotte recounting her childhood memories from the 1970s until now. the death of his father in 1991.

« We almost feel like we're disturbing»

Thirty-two years after the singer's death, fans can now wander through the six rooms of Serge's dark and bohemian lair, to which they crowded this Wednesday. Among them, Edouard. His visit had “an unusual side” Madeleine de Proust: « There are elements of my youth that I find again, the box of Smarties, a Canal Plus decoder, çit reminded me’ ; memories of my own youth, the visit is a bit like therapy. » A real journey through time for Edouard, born in in 1984, who also loved enter “intimacy” by Serge Gainsbourg: “in fact, we almost have the impression of disturbing.”

Maison Gainsbourg presents two distinct sites on rue de Verneuil in Paris (7th): the historic house of Serge Gainsbourg at 5 bis and a museum retracing the life and career of the artist at number 14. 20 Minuteswas there on September 13 for a privileged first look at the museum. before opening to the public. We discovered two routes: “House and Museum” (25 euros entry) and “Musé Seul” (12 euros).

Interior of the Gainsbourg museum. – Alexis Raimbault

The permanent tour offers a dive into the world of Gainsbourg in eight chronological chapters. Bringing together nearly 450 original objects: manuscripts, works and emblematic objects or even clothes and jewelry that belonged to the singer. “There are very few people so it’s very pleasant, you don’t feel like you are in a museum at all. It’s practically an individual experience, it’s very, very nice”, concludes Nathalie, decidedly won over.

Bookstore-boutique and Gainsbarre

It is true that the visit to the House and the Museum is done in small groups, so we find ourselves alone (or almost) during this immersion in the 1980s. And at At the end of this intense visit, 20 Minutes crossed paths with lots of excited visitors. Some, the bookstore-boutique or the Gainsbarre (café during the day transforming into a piano bar in the evening), refused to accept the request. politely to comment on the moment, not knowing, hot, « can't find the words ».

Note that next to it; visits, it’s full until’ the end of the year for the duo “Maison et Musée”. Fans will therefore have to wait until the end of the day. next year to visit Serge Gainsbourg's lair. Places are still available to visit the museum.