Magic and Felines: two exhibitions to discover

The Cité des sciences explores how we perceive things; the Muséum de Bordeaux places the cat within the feline family. Two ways to choose a science outing that goes beyond spectacle alone.

A science exhibition is not just about accumulating astonishing objects. It can make us think about a question: why do we believe what we see? What brings a domestic cat and a tiger together? In Paris and Bordeaux, two exhibitions open this autumn offer very different ways of examining what we take for granted.

They feature in the selection of exhibitions published by Sciences et Avenir. When choosing an outing, the best criterion is not just an appealing theme: it is also the kind of perspective the exhibition invites you to adopt, whether through an experiment in perception or observation of the natural world.

In Paris, looking at illusion differently

At the Cité des sciences et de l’industrie, “Magic, Believing and Knowing” brings contemporary magic together with cognitive science. The institution says the exhibition features creations and experiences involving mentalism, apparitions, disappearances and levitation. The project brings together work by contemporary magic companies and research into perception.

The scientific detour shifts the question. Faced with an impossible effect, immediately looking for “the trick” can obscure the role of attention and interpretation. Another way to approach the exhibition is to distinguish between what we see, the explanation we imagine and what would allow us to verify it. This distinction is useful beyond a show, too: a strong impression is not necessarily a complete observation.

The exhibition does not promise to turn every visitor into an expert on cognitive biases. It offers a framework in which to experience the gap between perception and knowledge. Nor does the presence of a surprising effect prove an extraordinary ability: it is precisely the question that the juxtaposition of the art of magic and research allows us to explore.

The Cité recommends the exhibition for visitors aged nine and over. The official page gives 18 July 2027 as the closing date; this is the date to go by rather than the different one given in the press selection. Before visiting, it is best to check time slots and ticketing conditions on the institution’s website.

In Bordeaux, placing the cat within a family

The Muséum de Bordeaux presents “Felines”, devised by the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle and adapted for the venue. The exhibition brings together taxidermied specimens, anatomical pieces and interpretation displays. It sets out the diversity of a family of thirty-eight species, twenty-three of which are represented by taxidermied specimens, according to Bordeaux Métropole.

Moving from the familiar cat to other felines is a good way into the comparison. Recognising a family relationship does not mean erasing differences in size, coat, environment or way of life. On the contrary, a shared classification framework allows us to ask questions about these variations.

Another challenge is not to confuse a predator’s prowess with invulnerability. The exhibition links hunting adaptations to the pressures faced by species, particularly the transformation of their habitats. An animal’s strength can be impressive without protecting it from changes to its environment.

A final section is devoted to the tiger and the fascination it inspires. It invites visitors to place the image of the animal in the context of its conservation. The exhibition is scheduled to run until 19 September 2027 at the Muséum de Bordeaux, place Bardineau.

Two outings, two ways to satisfy your curiosity

These exhibitions meet different needs. “Magic” starts with an experience that unsettles our view; “Felines” offers a comparison between organisms, forms and environments. You might choose the first to question your own interpretations, and the second to connect a familiar animal with a much wider diversity.

In both cases, context matters as much as the immediate effect. A spectacular trick benefits from being accompanied by a question about perception; a specimen benefits from being connected to its habitat and history. A visit can thus go beyond a collection of visual souvenirs and become an investigation on its own scale.

Opening times, bookings and any visitor-access arrangements should be checked with each museum. Their shared value is already clear: to give curiosity a direction, rather than promise that you can see everything in one visit.