Shots of the museum

Prises de vue au musée des Confluences
Image of the museum and its collections: for which purposes?

Filming and photo shoot

Are you a professional or amateur photographer who wants to take pictures of the museum? Would you like to sell the photos you have taken during your visit? Are you planning on filming or doing a photo shoot at the Musée des Confluences?

Any filming, photo shoot or professional use of the Confluences Museum's image must be authorised in advance by the Musée des Confluences, or covered by a privatisation contract and a fee.

You can contact Julia Blondeau-Brézillon julia.blondeau-brezillon[at]museedesconfluences.fr, public and press relations officer, to present your project and request authorisation.

N.B.: Depending on the nature of the request, the museum can provide official photographs of the building. Wedding photographs are not permitted inside the museum, nor on the base. Any occupation of the exterior of the museum for filming, photo shoots or events in the public space outside the museum must be the subject of an official request to the Service de l'Occupation Temporaire de l'Espace Public (Department for the Temporary Occupation of the Public Space) of the city of Lyon.

In the exhibitions

In the permanent exhibition halls, photography and filming (with the exception of certain works, see below) are permitted for private use, subject to the following recommendations:

  • Respect the works, their purpose, their author and their owner: no degrading or tendentious staging.
  • Follow the recommendations for preventive conservation:
    • do not touch the works, objects or animals;
    • do not use flash or any other lighting device;
    • do not use selfie sticks.

Some of the works on display are subject to copyright, and it is therefore forbidden to photograph or film them as indicated by the following symbol.

All the objects and works exhibited in the museum belong to owners who have the right to oppose any abnormal disturbance to the enjoyment of their property. As such, please take care regarding the uses you make of their image.

The set designers and the museum hold copyright on the set design of the exhibition spaces. Consequently, in order to use and/or exploit the image of exhibition spaces for professional purposes, for any publication and for any reproduction (whether commercial or not), you must always obtain the museum's permission.

For any public and commercial use: contact the museum and, if applicable, the lending owners or authors shown on the plaque.

The architecture and exteriors

The architecture firm CoopHimmelb(l)au holds copyright on the building and garden of the Musée des Confluences in accordance with the French Intellectual Property Code. This protection is valid until 1 January 2085.

Consequently, in order to use and/or exploit the image of the museum building (interior or exterior), for any publication and for any reproduction (whether commercial or not), you must always obtain the permission of CoopHimmelb(l)au by contacting the Musée des Confluences. If you do not obtain permission, you are guilty of counterfeiting (Art. L335-2 et seq. of the French Intellectual Property Code).

Furthermore, in accordance with property law, any owner of a property has a right to view the image of this property (Art. 544 of the French Civil Code). As such, they can refuse the use of any image that would cause them an “abnormal disturbance of enjoyment”. Any use that is detrimental to the owner of the building will expose you to legal action. It is therefore advisable to be vigilant about proposed uses.

Cultural events at the museum

Spectators are reminded that the recording of shows and performances and taking photographs is not authorised for two reasons:

  • The image of artists and performers is protected under personal rights. This means that they must consent to their image being captured.
  • As a courtesy to the artists and other spectators during the performance.

Moreover, all reproductions and performances of a show are protected by copyright. Their reproduction on any medium must be subject to a transfer of rights.

For any request concerning the recording or photographing of a show, please send us your request before the date of the performance.

Using the Musée des Confluences brand and image

The “Musée des Confluences” brand is a registered trademark protected by the French Intellectual Property Code. As the owner of this trademark, the Musée des Confluences has full powers to take action against any infringing use of it (Art. L716-1 et seq. of the French Intellectual Property Code).

The Musée des Confluences must be contacted before any use of the museum's image that impacts the image of the brand, a fortiori for any commercial use.