Université Paris Cité inaugurates a memorial space dedicated to the Covid-19 pandemic

A living space for reflection and remembrance

Initiated by Laetitia Atlani-Duault, anthropologist and President of the Ad Memoriam Institute, and supported by Édouard Kaminski, President of Université Paris Cité, this space was conceived as a scientific, civic and interdisciplinary place for dialogue, remembrance and creation.
The memorial space will host exhibitions, debates, conferences, writing workshops and artistic initiatives exploring the memorial dimensions of the Covid-19 pandemic. It aims to foster exchanges across disciplines and contribute to a collective work of remembrance around the individual and collective experiences shaped by the pandemic.

It is not only a matter of remembering, but of understanding what this pandemic revealed about our society and drawing every possible lesson from it in order to better prepare for future crises – Laetitia Atlani-Duault, President of the Ad Memoriam Institute

Through this initiative, Université Paris Cité reaffirms its commitment to fostering spaces for dialogue between science, society and transmission, capable of collectively addressing major contemporary issues.

Reflecting on the traces left by the pandemic

Designed by Laetitia Atlani-Duault and George Vigarello, the permanent exhibition offers a journey through the representations, traces and memories of the pandemic. It explores how this crisis profoundly transformed our fundamental points of reference, our relationship to time, space and social ties, while placing Covid-19 within the broader history of pandemics.
The memorial space thus seeks to foster a collective reflection on the transformations brought about by the pandemic and on the transmission of this experience to future generations.

This memorial space reflects Université Paris Cité’s commitment to preserving the traces of this collective experience and fostering dialogue between science, society and transmission – Édouard Kaminski, President of Université Paris Cité

An artistic programme marked the inauguration

Held on the university’s Odéon campus, the inauguration brought together researchers, institutional representatives, partners and guests for the official opening of the new space.
The evening also featured an artistic programme built around the theme “Border/Relation”, combining music, reading and dance.
This artistic programme brought together cellist Dorelle Sluchin, theater director and dramaturge Olivier Fredj, and dancer and videographer Judith Arazi.

Learn more

→ Ad Memoriam Institute