Title: On Mihail Chemiakin’s Musée Imaginaire ---- Tags: Article, 2023 ---- Top_image: top.jpg ---- Side_images: ---- Download_link: mihail-chemiakin-s-musee-imaginaire.pdf ---- External_link: ---- Internal_link: ---- Text: ### Publication ### About Chemiakin’s Musée Imaginaire Chemiakin’s Musée Imaginaire is a project of an artist fascinated by the hidden connections between cultures and eras. For over 60 years, Mihail Chemiakin has collected and studied millions of images, uncovering recurring themes and visual echoes across time and geography. His work is driven by the belief that, despite our differences, human creativity shares a common thread. From his research lab at the Château de Chamousseau in France, Chemiakin has organized these images into over 1,000 themes, exploring how similar ideas and symbols reappear in different contexts. Originally a collection of physical collages, the project became a digital platform in 2023, making 200,000 images. ### Abstract In this article, I explore Mihail Chemiakin’s Musée Imaginaire, which I believe is an important and unique contribution to how we understand and engage with visual art. Chemiakin’s project, which began long before the digital age, offers a compelling counterpoint to today’s algorithm-driven visual culture. While digital platforms categorize images based on visual similarity, Chemiakin’s museum takes a different approach, organizing images into thematic albums that reflect his personal artistic vision. Rather than simply grouping similar works together, these albums create surprising connections between images—contrasts, dialogues, and even dissonances—that invite us to see art in new ways. I see Chemiakin’s curatorial principle as akin to montage in filmmaking, where each image is carefully chosen to interact with the others, producing a richer experience than the typical classifications used in digital collections. In a world where visual culture is increasingly dominated by automated recommendations and endless streams of repetitive content, Chemiakin’s project stands out. His museum isn’t curated by algorithms or committees but by a single artist’s vision. This approach offers an alternative to today’s digital image culture, encouraging us to think more deeply about how we organize and experience visual art.