What if, for the duration of a visit, we swapped the success story for a good old-fashioned bowl? That's the bold bet of the Museum of Arts and Crafts which puts failure on a pedestal... and it feels great!
What if, for the duration of a visit, we swapped the success story for a good old-fashioned bowl? That's the bold bet of the Museum of Arts and Crafts which puts failure on a pedestal... and it feels great!
90% of innovations never progress beyond the prototype stage. This statistic, released by CB Insights in 2024, reminds us that instant success is an exception. With the exhibition "Flops?! Dare, Fail, Innovate," the MuAM turns the hourglass on its head: here, the focus is on the flops, not the medals. It's a refreshing way to remember that despite their failures, Ariane 5 rocket, the Bi-Bop, or the Marsan keyboard have fueled technical progress.
Installed from October 14, 2025 to May 17, 2026, the exhibition unfolds on two levels, between historical showcases and interactive devices. Visitors can handle, test, and have fun predicting "success or failure?". Good news: the items on loan from the very trendy Museum of Failure are displayed alongside the house's treasures, creating a real constellation of unexpected objects.
The first room lumps together a dangerous toy from the 1960s, a phone that was too ahead of its time, and a GPS with outdated maps. We laugh, sometimes ruefully, upon discovering the reasons for the flop: exorbitant cost, disastrous ergonomics, immature technology...
- The Clippy Board (1993), which updated every 30 seconds.
- The Jetpack Senior, banned after three crash attempts.
- The infamous MiniDisc video, launched just as streaming was beginning to emerge.
It's impossible to discuss failure without mentioning this master of subversion. His leaky umbrella or coffee maker for masochists reminds us that the absurd is sometimes the best magnifying glass to examine our habits.
His work, which has come back into the spotlight thanks to social media (over 3 million views on TikTok in 2024), finds a new showcase here.
The third part analyzes, without jargon, the technical, economic, or societal barriers. It dissects the explosion of Ariane 5 (computer bug, logistical stress, media pressure) or the commercial failure of videophony in 1995 (lack of bandwidth, prohibitive prices).
Nota Bene: Far from condemning, the MuAM highlights the concept of "iterative learning." Without failure, there is no version 2.0.
Ironically, some of yesterday's flops have become today's essentials. Video calling, once considered a gimmick in the 90s, surged by over 300% during the pandemic (Statista figures 2023). Another example: the concept of hypertext, misunderstood in 1968, now forms the very DNA of the Internet. The moral of the story: the earlier we fall, the higher we rise.
Fourteen iconic items, including Pascal's Pascaline, Vaucanson's loom, or the Bi-Bop phone, bear a discreet "Flops?!" label. A clever thread to navigate the historical galleries differently, making one realize that history is less linear than it seems.
The Greek designer showcases her deliberately unusable everyday objects: a glass with two handles, a bent fork, an inverted back chair... Her creations, which have gone viral on Instagram (#TheUncomfortable has over 200k mentions), challenge us to reassess the very concept of ergonomics.
Mission accomplished: we leave with the desire to test our next purchase... before checking out!
Theatrical tours, Lego® "Crash-Test" workshops for ages 7 and up, the weekend of January 17-18, 2026, entirely dedicated to the art of failure: the MuAM cultivates its atmosphere. A special mention for the Friday night opening (until 9 pm) which allows for a peaceful stroll, and the free admission every first Sunday of the month, a rarity in Paris.
Museum of Arts and Crafts
60 rue Réaumur, Paris 3rd
Dates: 14/10/2025 to 17/05/2026
Hours: Tue.–Sun. 10 am-6 pm (Fri. until 9 pm), closed Monday
Prices: 12 euros full, 9 euros reduced, free under 26 & first Sundays
Metro: Arts-et-Métiers (lines 3 and 11) right in front
Extra tip: book online to skip the queue and enjoy a free audioguide on your smartphone. Because missing your train is one thing, but missing your exhibition: no way!
Author Audrey on 27 January 2022
Art and Culture : Cinema
Author Audrey on 13 June 2022
Art and Culture : Museums