Atelier des Lumières - Paris
 

This is a new attraction in Paris that just opened a week ago, so it will probably be of more interest to people who have been to Paris more than once and have "seen everything." Unless you have had a chance to visit the Carrières des Lumières in Les Baux-de-Provence, it is highly unlikely that you have seen anything like this. To explain briefly, it is a light show in a huge old industrial building, but really it is so much more. It takes you out of Paris and into a completely different world. The principal show at the moment is devoted to Austrian artist Gustav Klimt, but as fans of the place in Les Baux will tell you, it really doesn't matter which artist is being honored for one of these shows. Anyway, the current show runs until November.

It's at 38 rue Saint Maur in the 11th arrondissement, and I recommend it, even if it will require a metro ride and a walk for people who stay in those "usual" areas.

Here is my photo report about the place: Atelier des Lumières | Any Port in a Storm

Ooooh.

kerouac, I will be in Paris next week and this is on the list. We have been debating if wen to get tickets in advance Thank you for the report!

Sounds fabulous, gomiki

I bought my own ticket online and it saved me about 5 minutes. Later in the season more minutes will probably be involved.

I saw this in Les Baux a few years ago...it was unlike anything I had seen before and very lovely.......if you have the chance, yes, see it.

Wonderful report and photos! Thanks Kerouac.

Ooooo, this sounds perfect for the big granddaughter graduation trip next year!

Thank you! :ok: Oh, I wish we could get back to see it, Kerouac! Your wonderful photo coverage will at least partially make up for missing it.

Thanks Kerouac. I will be in Paris first week in May weekend - its on my list.

Wonderful - we have been to the one near Les Baux two times - Picasso and Bosch / Brugel. Now I don't have to go all the way to southern France for the experience - but is it really as enjoyable in a warehouse as in the quarry?

Atelier des lumieres
 

This is very exciting. Thank you for the informative overview and also warning about the frenzy in the bar. Atelier des Lumieres is on my list for a next visit to Paris.

Love the photos....merci Kerouac! we saw the Van Gogh lumieres in Paris last year and are looking forward to this in June. I will book tickets before we go.

Our guests this week just came from Paris and saw this and are RAVING about it. I've seen the one in Les Baux and it was amazing. If I had plans to be in Paris anytime soon, which I don't, I wouldn't miss this.

I will say again that the place in Les Baux is better, but the new place in Paris does not disappoint.

My wife and I had an "extra" day in Paris after cancelling a day trip to Rouen, and spent part of our day here (train strike affected both legs even after we rescheduled to a non strike day ... but I digress.)

Really a fabulous show. Yes, video is really the best way to capture it, as the art is deconstructed and brought to life. Lots of children in the crowd enjoying the experience as well. Best I can tell there is no set schedule - -you just go in and the three programs (longest being Klimt) rotate. We stayed for two rounds. Might be worth reading up a little on Klimt and the Vienna Secession beforehand.

Many thanks Kerouac - it was a highlight of my May weekend in Paris.

regards Ger

Funny that you should post today, because I just returned for the second time with a visiting friend this morning. It was as good as ever and not as crowded as I feared it might be at this time of year.

I saw on the website that on the weekends, all tickets must be bought online -- they close the ticket office at the site. Anyway, we had timed tickets for 10:30 (the 10:00 opening slot was sold out). We arrived at 10:05 and they let us go in immediately anyway with no problem.

We were also able to fit in a visit when we went to Paris and Loire Valley with our daughter, son-in-law and twin granddaughters. Had given up hope that we'd make it on this trip and then daughter decided she really wanted to see it, so we made room for it in the schedule. So glad we did. It pleased everyone in our party, especially me (a fan of both Klimt and Hundertwasser) and DH (a big time photo and video maker). It was everything kerouac said it was. Thanks so much for drawing our attention to it. Really a big highlight of the trip.

I finally added a video to my report, but here is the direct link:

Not to beat my drum, but perhaps this new attraction should once again be brought to the attention of return visitors looking for something new to do.

Kerouac: I thank you again for this recommendation. It was the highlight of my weekend in Paris.

Yes, please to continue to bring this to the top.

Regards .. Ger

I think this would induce vertigo and a migraine in me.

Thin

I agree, great immersive art exhibition. We also went based on your trip report and recommendation Kerouac, so thank you for sharing.

Merci from me, too, Kerouac for the recommendation. We were absolutely enthralled by the 3 shows at the Atelier. The Klimpt was astoundingly beautiful and fascinating in presentation, and the Hundtervaser was terribly interesting and visually appealing. The 3rd (I cannot remember the name of the artist) was less interesting, but still, in that unuaual setting, fun to see. The music was well programmed for the visuals in all 3 presentations, IMO...and noone appeared in danger of fainting. We just loved it.

kerouac, do you know what will happen after 11/11? All of the expositions have 11-Nov as a closing date -- will the Atelier shut down for the winter (asks the man who expects to arrive in mid-November)?

DonTopaz, I don't really know, but I don't think it will close for the winter. Nevertheless, this was their very first season, so they probably were not sure about the future when they opened. It makes good business sense for them not to reveal the next show very much ahead of time because people might say "Oh, I was going to see Klimt even though I'm not a big fan, but now that I know that the next show is XXXX, I'll just wait for that one."

Personally, I think it will be an excellent indoor winter attraction when the weather is miserable.

Here is what The Guardian thought about the place: https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2...t-museum-klimt

We'll be in Paris for 3 weeks in Sept/Oct.



Can we just "show up" at 10:00 on a week day, purchase tickets, and walk in & enjoy??? Or does there need to be a specific start time for our visit??


Stu Dudley

At that time of year, I don't think you need to book ahead. I have been there twice, and the second time was earlier this month (the heart of "tourist season"). I booked ahead to take a friend, and 10:00 opening time was already sold out, so I booked for 10:30. But we arrived at 10:00 anyway, and they just let us walk in. (The tickets have bar codes and you scan them at a turnstile like boarding passes at airports.) An hour later, the place was filling up but not to an unreasonable extent. Lots of young people just sit on the floor and watch everything happening around them. You just have to be careful not to stumble over them.

We saw the show a couple days ago in Paris. Fantastic! We arrived at 2:00 for our 2:30 entry time and went right in. Quite a long line for people who showed up without a ticket, but it’s August, so no surprise. Buy tix in advance if you can.

Last week we arrived just afternoon and bought tickets on the spot. We were told we could come back anytime that day and walk right in, so we went and had a nice lunch and then did just that. When we left around 3 pm, the line for tickets was all the way down the block. It's a wonderful exhibit!

Anyway, I am quite sure that I will return when the program changes, and I'll try to report again on this same thread. Otherwise, I will start a new one.

I very much enjoyed the exhibition that I saw in Les Baux about 3 years ago.

I saw videos of this exhibition on line and got tickets for our visit in October!

We plan to visit this event on Tuesday, Sept 18. We also would like to have lunch at the nearby Cat Cafe at noon (1 bus stop away). How much time does the the "average" visitor to the Atelier des Lumieres take to see the show? We always like to be "first in line" to visit shows & have lunch because we are "morning people".


Stu Dudley

You won't be "first in line" because they'll send you in as soon as you buy a ticket, or if you have a ticket in hand already, so you will almost surely end up inside when the show is already underway. The three exhibits on display together take a half-hour, so I would guess, given that most people enter while one of the three shows is underway, you should allow yourself around 45 minutes. You can of course choose to stay and see all or parts of it a second time.

Actually, I think the three shows take about 45 minutes. I think I spent about an hour there both times because it is very nice to sit in the hidden bar at the far end of the room and allow oneself to get dizzy with the AI show on the reflective walls and floor. Most of the visitors do not even discover this room. (No need to consume anything in the bar.)

Thanks, both of you. So if I get an entry ticket for 10:30, finish around 11:30, wait for the bus, then we'll arrive at the Cat Cafe a few minutes before it opens at noon.


Stu Dudley

kerouac is right. The Gustav Klimt show is 30 minutes and the other two add about 15-20 minutes. Should work for your lunch plans.