Atelier des Lumières: Paris's first digital art museum opens in former foundry

The Atelier des Lumières, Paris's first entirely digital art museum, opened two months ago in the 11th arrondissement. Housed in the former Plichon foundry (1835), the 3,300 sqm space features 140 video projectors and over 3,000 moving images on walls up to 10 meters high, with 50 speakers playing Wagner, Chopin, and Beethoven. The museum is operated by Culturespaces, which pioneered immersive exhibitions in a cave at Le Baux de Provence since 2012, attracting 1.5 million visitors annually. The Paris venue has two spaces: La Halle (1,500 sqm) for cycles on major art figures, and Le Studio (160 sqm) for contemporary digital art. Opening shows focus on Gustav Klimt and the Vienna Secession, and Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Italian artists Gianfranco Iannuzzi, Renato Gatto, and Massimiliano Siccardi created all video installations. Despite criticism from traditional art advocates, the museum draws large crowds, reflecting a global trend of immersive exhibitions that attract general audiences.