Live Like an Egyptian

This week, Paris language and culture global navigators visited the immersive Atelier de Lumières light show. 

The exhibition space is housed in what was originally an iron foundry, which supplied iron materials to navy and railway companies during The Industrial Revolution. The foundry closed its doors in 1929 due to increased competition from welding and forging companies and the economic challenges of the international crisis. 

In 2013, the building was rediscovered by Bruno Monnier, the President of Culturespaces in Paris. Monnier envisioned an artistic space for the building, where emergent technology and art could come together. 

In 2018, after extensive renovations, The Atelier de Lumières officially opened its doors. In the 6 years since its debut, the space has brought to life the masterpieces of artists such as Van Gogh, Marc Chagall, Gustav Klimt and many more. 

This year, The Atelier de Lumières took an entirely new approach, bringing to life the long and complex history of the Egyptian pharaohs. 

During the visit, students were able to walk amongst the Egyptians, becoming fully immersed in the sights and sounds of the ancient past. 

“The music was very powerful and the ambiance was immersive for all your senses,” says Addie Koehler, who has deemed The Atelier de Lumières to be one of her favorite activities thus far during the program. 

In a place as artistically rich as Paris, it is especially unique to experience art and history in a way that wasn’t possible before modern technology. Now, paintings and artifacts can move as visitors walk amongst them, providing new perspectives on how art and history has shaped the world we live in today. The HSSA Paris students will surely never look at Egyptian pharaohs the same way ever again!