INTERVIEW
Roch-Olivier Maistre, president of the CSA (Superior council of audio-visual) since last February, was a close one of Jacques Chirac, died Thursday. From 2000 and 2005, he worked with him at the Elysee Palace, as a consultant, particularly for education in culture and communication. In Culture Media on Europe 1, he testifies to the love and dedication of the former president for arts and culture.
"He was discreet and discreet about his secret gardens, which he often hid behind somewhat provocative formulas, but behind this modesty was really hiding a man of heart who, as president, 'In this great tradition, the heads of state, the protectors of arts and culture,' stresses Roch-Olivier Maistre.
He adds: "He committed himself resolutely to the fight for the cultural exception, which was victorious, and in major projects such as that of the musée du quai Branly, which touched an area that was very dear to his heart. "
Chirac knew by heart the works of the Guimet museum
The president of the CSA tells a young Chirac who "haunted the museum Guimet", museum which he paid particular attention to its renovation. "He wanted to make known these arts less known to the general public and often not taken into account in the major national collections by making them enter the Louvre Museum first, not without difficulty.And then the musée du quai Branly", note Roch-Olivier Maistre.
This close friend of the former president remembers a man with a passion for sharing culture. "When he inaugurated the Guimet Museum, he conducted this inauguration piece by piece, putting himself in the place of the museum director and being able to comment on each piece," he recalls. "There must have been 3, 400 works, this inauguration lasted almost three hours, which testified to his profound and not at all superficial knowledge of these civilizations."
Listen to "Chirac, a French story"
Europe 1 returns in a podcast event entitled "Chirac, a French story" about the life and career of Jacques Chirac, 22nd president of the Republic through analyzes, stories and testimonies drawn from our archives and produced by the editor of Europe 1.
You can listen and subscribe to the podcast by clicking here