First temporary exhibition at the Cité
From May 2022 to October 2023
Nearly 120,000 visitors explored the world of French patisserie in the Cité’s first temporary exhibition, C’est pas du gâteau! Les secrets de la pâtisserie française.
For this first major exhibition devoted to pastry in France, who better than the emblematic Pierre Hermé to be the patron of this exceptional event?
This exhibition showcased the magical ingredients that have been delighting our palates for generations, from flour to chocolate, fresh eggs to butter. Covering an area of 500 square meters, this sensory and interactive experience was designed for all audiences. From beginners to connoisseurs, everyone could let themselves be seduced by the ingenuity of pastry chefs and plunge into the fascinating history of this culinary art.
During their visit, visitors explored the particularities of French patisserie, sometimes reliving childhood memories in the manner of a Proust madeleine. Familiar settings, moving testimonials and interactive activities stimulated curiosity and appetite along the way.
A gourmet exhibition trail
To begin their tour, visitors discovered a “mât de cocagne”, decorated
with the ingredients needed to make cakes from all over the world.
Around it, displays featuring a variety of pop-up paper cakes were
arranged, taking visitors on a gastronomic journey from the USA to
Japan, via Austria and North Africa.
Following the circuit, visitors were transported to the famous Gloppe patisserie, a gourmet hotspot on the Champs-Élysées in the 19th century. There, they were able to pose at the table, putting themselves in the shoes of a mille-feuilles or macaroon taster, while discovering an exhibition of emblematic cakes.
Then, in intimate showcases, vintage utensils were displayed alongside anonymous testimonials, stimulating the senses and reactivating olfactory memory with the help of a round table to associate scents with traditional festive cakes.
As they moved along, visitors were invited to get their hands dirty in the professional pastry chef’s laboratory. They were able to test their skills and abilities with multimedia games that simulated the technical gestures required to make professional cakes.
As if in a child’s dream, visitors arrived in the land of gourmet monuments. They wandered through a colourful landscape of giant cakes, each with its own surprises. They were given tips and historical anecdotes about French pastry staples such as tarts, choux pastries, macaroons, entremets, brioches and travel cakes such as gingerbread.
To conclude, a tasting soundtrack guided them to the last stage of the tour. Here, photographs showcased the signature cake collections of renowned pastry chefs, highlighting excellence and trends in the field. An artistic work by Vincent Olinet, playing with notions of pastry perfection and “bad taste”, brought this gourmet adventure to a close!
Patisserie Festival – March 2023
Pastry chefs’ secrets
Patisserie by FERRANDI exhibition by photographer Aline Gérard
