Carrières de Lumières 2020
An Immersion into Dali’s Creative Mind. While 21st century technology has brought new dimensions to the world of visual art, there is nothing so breathtaking as Les Carrières de Lumières in the village of Les Baux in the South of France. CultureSpaces has created an immersive art experience in sight and sound within the subterranean space, with images projected onto the solid limestone walls. Regardless of the art selected, the experience is already somewhat surreal—but in 2020 it is being made even more so by an exhibition of the mind-bending creations of Salvador Dali. Spanish artist, Dali, has been astounding art lovers since the 1930s. From the melting clocks of The Persistence of Memory” to the floating figures of his muse Gala, and to the many other inexplicable visions of the universe as only he could see it, Dali’s art continues to mesmerize fans from all over the world. Now Dali’s art is presented in “Daliesque” ways that were never before possible, and that would thoroughly delight Dali himself. Dali, The Endless Enigma In this exhibit, you will actually be immersed in Dali’s works, in a digital exhibition entitled Dali,The Endless Enigma. You will walk through an enormous cavern, while Dali’s art is sharply focused beneath you on the floor, on the ceiling, and on the walls, accompanied in surround-sound, appropriately, by the music of Pink Floyd. Also on the bill is a short program of Antoni Gaudi, known as “the architect of the imaginary.” Gaudi was a great source of inspiration for Dali, and in fact his works from the beginning of the twentieth century were defended by Dali. The immersive exhibition will pay tribute to this ingenious architect through his modernist buildings that have now been listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites. About Les Carrières de Lumières This unique art experience is known as the Carrières de Lumières, meaning the “Quarry of Lights”. While music plays through the surround-sound system, enormous masterpieces are projected onto the 64,583 square feet of quarry walls and floors from over 100 projectors, literally enveloping you into the paintings. It is an artistic, sensory adventure like no other and it has brought us to tears with its beauty. The program is really is one of those things you have to experience to appreciate, but it is guaranteed to blow you away. Carrières de Lumières is the brainchild of a Belgian named Bruno Monnier, and his company Culturespaces. The company developed and trademarked the technology they call AMIEX (Art & Music Immersive Experience). Since the launching of Les Carrières de Lumières in 2012, they have since opened similar exhibitions in Paris (Atelier des Lumières) and South Korea (Bunker des Lumières). Due to the outstanding success of these venues, several others are now in the planning stages as well. We include this visit to Les Carrières de Lumières as part of the workshops and retreats program in Southern France. CultureSpace: Throughout our workshops, we have included a trip to Les Baux and Les Carrières de Lumières for our artist-guests. They have experienced tributes on separate years to Gustav Klimt with Egon Schiele (again they were influenced by the Japanese Style), Marc Chagall, The Spanish Masters – from Goya, Sorolla to Picasso and the Giants of the Renaissance featuring Michaelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci. Les Baux de Provence Did you know that Les Baux de Provence is arguably one of the most beautiful villages in France? Phenomenal buildings and intricate facades make this village rich in historic architecture. Culinary minds can explore the delicious cuisine, quality wine, and fab company. Les Baux de Provence has been home to Carrières de Lumières since 1976.
Non-Painters at Workshops and Art Retreats
At Workshops in France, we are often asked if it’s ok if a non-painting partner comes too and we say, “Absolutely!” We have had husbands and wives, mothers and daughters, sisters and friends at our workshops and art retreats in the past and everyone has a wonderful time, whether painting or not! There Is Always Something To Do Of course we structure our events with painting in mind but we still give the non-painters a rich experience. Whether we are in the glorious south of France, in wonderful Scotland, or in stunning Tuscany we always give our guests the opportunity to experience more than just painting! We have Museum tours, visits to historical sites, and lots of cultural immersion that are enjoyed by both the artists and non-painters alike. This includes market days, wine tasting, (or visits to a whisky distillery in Scotland) trips to local landmarks and idyllic locations, and of course some down-time to relax, read or swim in the pool. We have had guests who go explore on their own, go to play golf, or go into town to enjoy the café culture and shops while we artists are tethered to our easels. In a way the non-painters are more flexible with their time as they have the freedom to wander and explore so much more! If the non-painter joins us with their painting spouse, we’ve even seen their relationship change for the better! We remove all of the distractions so they can better concentrate on their own interests when apart, and each other when together. At one of Carol Marine’s Workshops, Gregory a non-painter, came with his lovely wife Coralie. He was such an asset to the group as his enthusiasm for life was infectious! He even ended up painting and surprised everyone with his wonderful work! We enjoyed their company so much that we invited them to be crew for us in Scotland and they are returning again to help us deliver the retreat in Tuscany. We are thrilled to say that we have quite a few couples returning with us for our next season, so our harmonious blend of activities for painters and non-painters must be working! Blogger: Shirley Hambrick Shirley Hambrick is an award-winning stained-glass artist and painter. She has lived in Scotland, Spain and the USA. Shirley is part of the Workshops in France team and attended over 20 of these trips. She writes about her adventures. Being Scottish, she was trained at Edinburgh College of Art and Design. Shirley teaches in the West Virginia area and you can some of her beautiful work here.