The exceptional exhibition "Zombies. Is Death Not an End ?" at the Musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac (France), sheds light on the fantasies, beliefs and fears hidden behind the figure of the most famous "undead" in the world, questioning an anthropological reality between knowledge and fiction.

Zombies are first inherent to Haitian voodoo, the exhibition questions through objects and decorations linked to the voodoo ritual of zombification, an ancestral supernatural practice. These objects (paintings, sculptures, traditional costumes and Native American artifacts linked to Haitian voodoo) were selected among others by Erol Josué "Hougan" (spiritual leader of the voodoo religion) and Director General of the National Bureau of Ethnology (BNE), member of the Curatorship of this exhibition. Erol Josué, alongside other international experts, embodies the spirit of this exhibition... A significant portion of these objects come from the collections of the BNE and that of Erol Josué.

Beyond the simple presentation of precious and mystical objects, the exhibition is intended to be a cultural affirmation against prejudices and aims to rectify negative perceptions.

Forget everything you think you know about zombies… Far from the contagious undead of cinema and pop culture, the exhibition offers you a nuanced perspective of Haitian culture, far from simplistic stereotypes.

In Haiti, the figure of the zombie takes shape on the fringes of voodoo culture, through the practices of its secret societies and in particular the bizango society, whose judicial role gives it the power of zombification. Judged and condemned, the zombie is in reality a criminal deprived of freedom, made a slave and kept in a state of stupor in the service of a master (bokor).

Between knowledge and fiction, the exhibition reveals the realities behind the fear of zombies.

From October 8, 2024 to February 16, 2025, the temporary exhibition located on the East Mezzanine of the museum explores this tradition linked to the Haitian voodoo religion.

HL/ PI/ HaitiLibre