Borderlines: The exhibition at the Cité des sciences exploring the boundaries of our world

In Paris, the City of Science is hosting the exhibition Frontière, an immersive and documentary experience that explores the concept of borders through ten real-world case studies from around the globe. Running from April 14, 2026, to January 2, 2028, this exhibition invites visitors aged 12 and up to engage in a thought-provoking journey at the intersection of geography, society, and art.

What if borders reveal more than just what they separate? From April 14, 2026, to January 2, 2028, the Cité des sciences et de l’industrie is hosting a new exhibition titled Frontier, developed in partnership with the University of Grenoble Alpes. This immersive display invites visitors to explore the concept of borders through a multidisciplinary lens that combines geography, social sciences, art, and political analysis. In a dedicated space, viewers will encounter around a dozen real-world scenarios, carefully selected for their symbolic, unique, or analytical significance, showcasing the diverse ways in which borders can manifest and shape our world.

Here, borders are not just lines on a map—they’re networks, points of tension, zones of exchange, and also symbolic and physical barriers. The exhibition offers a nuanced exploration of these spaces, often seen as fixed, highlighting their fluid and complex nature. Maps, artworks, testimonies, and interactive installations invite visitors to consider these issues from multiple perspectives, questioning the role borders play in shaping the modern world.

Frontière : l'exposition à la Cité des sciences qui explore les limites du monde — Photo de Greg Bulla sur Unsplash

Ten Real-World Examples for Exploring the World's Lines

Imagine yourself at a border: crossing it, walking along it, enduring it, or defending it… Through ten case studies from diverse geographical contexts, Frontière at the Cité des Sciences showcases real-life situations—some iconic, others surprisingly little known—that invite us to see the border as a living entity, both tangible and symbolic.

Each narrative of borders is presented within a broader context: migration policies, territorial inequalities, geostrategic conflicts, as well as ways of living, moving, and exchanging. The exhibit is designed to provoke reflection on our relationship with space and with others.

A comprehensive perspective on a topic at the forefront of global news

The issue of borders, a recurring theme in public discourse and the media, is explored here from multiple perspectives. The exhibition avoids oversimplification: it highlights the fluidity of borders, their many forms—including drawn lines, checkpoints, symbolic thicknesses, and invisible networks.

Without aiming to deliver a specific message, Frontière offers instead a series of interconnected perspectives to explore how boundaries shape our societies, movements, and imaginations. This approach draws on science, sociology, critical geography, and citizen stories alike.

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