Visit the instrumentarium
Embark on a journey to a strange land
where everyday objects become musical instruments...
Saxofolie
A giant maze of harmonic flutes
A province dedicated to the inventor of the saxophone, Adolphe Sax. You will discover an astonishing organ created by Nicolas Bras and composed of 54 harmonic flutes.
Métalodie
A tender sound in a body of steel
An enigmatic province with a metallic resonance, born from the imagination of Rudy Romanovsky... Grab your mallets and let our Pataphon guide you.
Lithosphère
The song of the stones
The province of sounding stones. It is home to the Great Sampler designed by Max Vandervorst, a keyboard instrument with four most unusual voices.
Aqualubie
Deep in the ocean
Here, sounds become wet. Let yourself be lulled by the shimmering sound of water and the enchanting song of the scallops.
Philaphonie
Take part in the orchestra
Let's take a trip to the attic. A changing space that constantly evolves with the inspiration and whimsical creations of Pataphon guide.
Brols à Bruits
Music from beginning to end
Back in the courtyard, play on our gigantic 2-meter-high sound sculpture and discover the surprising Wall of Sound.
An extraordinary orchestra
Belgian musician, composer, and instrument inventor Max Vandervorst designed the first instrument collection (called instrumentarium) at the Maison de la Pataphonie in Dinant. The constantly evolving instrumentarium has grown considerably over time thanks to the inventiveness of the Pataphon guides as well as numerous collaborations with other luthiers, researchers, dreamers, and experimenters, such as the CFMI in Lille and the Parisian alternative luthier Nicolas Bras. Water flutes, tigeophones, aeropercutophone, birbines, PVC saxophone and even the Grand Sampler… All these unusual instruments are the fruits of the imagination of this group of mad inventors and can be discovered and played without restraint at the Maison de la Pataphonie.
Want to create instruments? Download the Little Handbook of Alternative Instrument Making in PDF.
A bit of history
The Maison de la Pataphonie is housed in one of Dinant's oldest dwellings, a half-timbered house built in 1493-94 (a date confirmed by dendrochronological research conducted by Patrick Hoffsummer). The building underwent numerous transformations over time, one particularly significant being the addition of an annex on the right side, the Maison du Pléban (House of the Pleban). This name, "Pléban" likely derives from the fact that the house accommodated the plebans, priests who served as assistants to the Dean of the Chapter. Uninhabited for many years, the building, characterized by its half-timbered facade, suffered a slow decline under the repeated assaults of time. Weakened to its very foundations, the building was doomed to certain demolition in the 1970s. However, the announcement of its destruction sparked a popular movement to save it as the last vestige of Dinant's medieval architecture. The building then passed into the hands of the Province, and subsequently the City, with a view to its rehabilitation, which had been decided upon in the meantime for cultural purposes. Finally, the building was listed as a historical monument following a decision by the Royal Commission for Monuments, Sites and Excavations: the restoration process was launched. Work began in 1990 and was completed 11 years later. Regained to its former glory, this gem could now accommodate a new purpose: a center for playful musical awakening. Thus, on June 2, 2001, the Maison de la Pataphonie played its first notes. Since its creation, the Maison de la Pataphonie has been managed by the Dinant Cultural Center, specializing in creativity and amateur artistic practices.