5 bis rue de Verneuil

Façade 5 bis rue de Verneuil

Photo. Alexis Raimbault

5 bis, historic house

Both a place of inspiration and a place of work, having welcomed illustrious guests and hosted a family life within its walls, 5 bis rue de Verneuil is a character in its own right in the story of Serge Gainsbourg.

A place of great importance both in his personal life and in the development of his work, the “5 bis” and the objects it contains were kept intact by Charlotte Gainsbourg after her father’s passing over 32 years ago.

Serge Gainsbourg's house can be visited thanks to an original soundtrack created by Soundwalk Collective in collaboration with Charlotte Gainsbourg. Composed from a collection of unpublished sound archives, this piece superimposes history, archives and sounds collected within the building.

Two by two, visitors equipped with geo-located headphones, stroll through the two floors of the house. A thirty minutes immersion during which the public wanders guided by the voice of Charlotte Gainsbourg, who, step by step, retraces the memories and anecdotes linked to her father and her childhood house.

5 bis Rue de Verneuil – Photo. Pierre Terrasson, 1991

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The Museum

At 14 rue de Verneuil, visitors access the museum composed of a space dedicated to the permanent collection and a space dedicated to temporary exhibits.

Lasting approximately one hour, the permanent exhibition offers an insight into Serge Gainsbourg’s world through a journey condensed into eight chronological chapters. It presents nearly 450 original objects : manuscripts, artworks and emblematic objects, jewellery and clothes, belonging to Serge Gainsbourg and coming from Maison Gainsbourg's collection, its vast documentary archive as well as exceptional loans from institutional and private collections.

In addition to these display cases, eight screens broadcast a selection of rare and sometimes unpublished television, film, radio and photographic archives. This fifty-minute video tour features Serge Gainsbourg, in voice-over, recounting his own trajectory.

The basement of the museum is dedicated to temporary exhibitions that highlight some of the key events in Serge Gainsbourg’s life and career.

The museum – Photo. Alexis Raimbault, 2023

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The collection

Maison Gainsbourg houses a collection of around 25,000 items. It consists of objects, artworks, furniture, photographs, documents and clothes that once belonged to Serge Gainsbourg.

The collection includes major works such as Claude Lalanne’s "l’Homme à Tête de Chou", the original manuscript of "la Marseillaise", and Salvador Dali’s "La Chasse aux Papillons".

The museum also holds a vast documentary archive of more than 3,000 manuscripts, a large press archive and a photographic archive of original slides and prints. 

The collection – Photo. Alexis Raimbault, 2023

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Museum hang - Video. Ange Raynaud, 2023

Le Gainsbarre

Le Gainsbarre is Maison Gainsbourg’s café and piano bar, inspired by the early years of Serge Gainsbourg’s musical career, when he worked as a pianist in the cabarets of the city. It is the epicentre of Maison Gainsbourg: a place for conviviality and programming.

Le Gainsbarre – Photo. Alexis Raimbault, 2023

The Book & Gift shop

Conceived as a concept store, Maison Gainsbourg’s book and gift shop develops different collections of objects carefully designed and selected to evoke the rich universe of the artist: records, photographs, iconic objects, clothing and fashion accessories are displayed alongside a bookshop area.

Located at 14 rue de Verneuil, the book & gift shop is open to the public at the same times as the museum.

The book and gift shop - Photo. Alexis Raimbault, 2023

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