Barco and Culturespaces team up to create unforgettable, immersive art experiences
Kortrijk, Belgium, 31 May 2017 – Global technology leader Barco is delighted to announce a partnership with Culturespaces, a French consultancy and engineering firm with a passion for heritage and art. Under the agreement, Barco will deliver a total of 170 laser phosphor projectors to enable immersive multimedia experiences at the Carrières des Lumières museum in Les Baux-de-Provence, and the future Atelier des Lumières in Paris.
Culturespaces was founded in 1990 by Bruno Monnier, a true history and art enthusiast. Today, the company manages 13 French monuments and museums that welcome over 2.7 million visitors per year, including the Carrières des Lumières. When Culturespaces took over the management of the unique venue in Les Baux-de-Provence in 2010, the quarry’s huge rock walls and ceilings - 7,000m², up to 14m high – had formed the backdrop for sound and light shows for 30 years. Culturespaces boosted the popularity of the venue by hosting impressive immersive exhibitions on big painters like Gauguin, Van Gogh, Chagall, da Vinci, etc. The laser phosphor projectors that Barco has now delivered are taking this year’s exhibition to an even higher level.
Extra sense of immersion and reality
“Over the years, we have continually innovated in the way we welcome visitors, use technologies, set up exhibits, etc. The partnership with Barco fits perfectly within our quest for innovation,” says Bruno Monnier. “Barco’s laser phosphor projectors add an extra sense of immersion and reality to the unique AMIEX® (Art and Music Immersive Experience) technology that we developed to display high-resolution images on the walls and ceiling of the Carrières, to the rhythm of compelling music.”
Great color performance
The compact, lightweight PGWU-62L laser phosphor projectors delivered to Les Baux-de-Provence feature WUXGA resolution (1,920 x 1,200) and ensure superb color performance. They bring paintings by Bosch, Brueghel and Arcimboldo to life to the music of artists ranging from Carl Orff to Led Zeppelin, in a new exhibition that opened on 4 March, 2017. “The laser phosphor projectors deliver higher luminance, more power and better contrast than our current projectors. They’re perfect for revealing even the tiniest details of the great works by Bosch, Brueghel and Arcimboldo. The result is a mind-blowing art experience,” says Gianfranco Iannuzzi, artistic director.
Captivating, unforgettable moments
In 2018, Barco will install PGWU-62L projectors at a brand-new Culturespaces venue: the 3,300m² Atelier de Lumière, in the heart of Paris. “Culturespaces and Barco share a fascination for images and a persistent drive to offer visitors captivating, unforgettable moments. The work of Culturespaces is mesmerizing, and we are very proud to contribute to their unique experience showcases,” says Eric Braux, Director Special Projects EMEA and Country Manager France for Barco. “More than delivering the projectors, we will also brainstorm with Mr. Monnier and his team about how to deploy audio-visual technology to breathe life into culture and art.”