Par
Jade Lelieur
Published on
The AOP Poiré Domfront is unique for this typical Normandy drink, made from pears.
Often associated with cider, it tries to distinguish itself, particularly internationally.
To attract more and more curious people and develop local production, a museum and an exhibition are entirely dedicated to it. But how do you reach a foreign audience?
The choice of language for this exhibition is an essential factor. Mathilde Oswald is responsible for the perry museum in Barenton, in the South Manche, and project manager for this exhibition with the evocative name: The AOP perry Domfront, the taste of a landscape.
She explains that all the texts will be fully translated into English to give an international dimension to the exhibition and to the perry to allow “its development and promote it for the future of production”. But this stage is only one of the steps in the construction of the exhibition. Return to a creative process, thought out to highlight the terroir, the producers and make this AOP drink known.
A dive into the archives
When we met Mathilde Oswald, the head of the museum, at the beginning of June, the exhibition was about to enter its final phase: installation. But before getting there, more than a year and a half was necessary. For her, it all starts with her arrival at the Perry Museum in April 2025. The theme of the next exhibition had already been chosen more than a year ago, but the research had not yet started.
2026 marking the 20 years of the AOPthe exhibition was to focus on this theme. She thus becomes project manager.  One of the first actions is to do research on the theme ”. For this, Mathilde Oswald read assessments and activity reports, she collected testimonies, in particular from producers who  often many things to tell ”.
A text and language layout
After having done all the research and determining what we want to tell, but also what audience the exhibition is aimed at, the project opens up to other professionals. The next step was to call on a museographer.  Its role is to put all searches into text that I did,” explains Mathilde Oswald. This work with the museographer lasted more than five months.
When the project takes shape
The following five months will be devoted to the scenography.  The scenographer is responsible for visually shaping the exhibition with several trades… These are graphic designers, carpenters and even printing companies and model makers who worked on this exhibition.
And everyone had their role and specific objectives for this project. “For example, for the graphic charter, we wanted each color to refer to a pole of the exhibition, because we want it to be fun ”. However, she cannot go into more detail, because “I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise of the final result.”
All the criteria had been determined in advance and a one-month public market had been opened to find this scenographer.
Towards the end of June, the preparation of the exhibition will enter its final phase: installation. A crucial step to not only bring these months of preparation to life, but also to check that everything fits together correctly and that everything works.
The exhibition will then be able to open to the public on July 4 during the event The museum celebrates summer and live for three years.
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