gustav klimt's works drip with life from these giant wall-to-wall projections

in the eleventh arrondissement of paris, bursting within a former foundry, 120 projections — 3,300 square meters of light — frame the works of classic and contemporary art, most notably, the works of gustav klimt. atelier des lumieres is a collection of exhibitions by a private manager of the arts: culturespaces. appreciators of viennese work may visit culturespaces’ palace of art, walk atop massive stems of life and stare at a gold-dripped kiss.

all images © culturespaces / E. spiller

according to culturespaces president, bruno monnier, atelier des lumieres links the past with the future: ‘digital technology is so important in twenty-first-century exhibitions. used for creative purposes, it has become a formidable vector for dissemination, and is capable of creating links between eras, add dynamism to artistic practices, amplify emotions, and reach the largest possible audience.’

600,000 people visited culturespaces’ previous program — carrières de lumières — each year. with atelier des lumieres, they hope to compliment their success with three exhibitions in two areas: la halle and le studio.

la halle houses two digital programs. the first (the longer of the two) is 30 minutes in length, devoted to gustav klimt and egon schiele. after the work of the greats is showcased, the second, shorter program takes over, featuring a more contemporary symbol of viennese creativity: friedensreich hundertwasser.

in the final exhibition area, le studio, a third show highlights emerging artists. entirely contemporary, it gives a much-needed carte blanche to digital world-makers.

‘thanks to the virtualization of works of art, we will enable many visitors who have never had the opportunity to visit the secession palace in vienna to behold the iconic figures in klimt’s frescoes’, explains gianfranco iannuzzi, renato gatto, and massimiliano siccardi, the directors responsible for the projections.