The Carrières de Lumières (Quarries of Light) is a magical
space in a vast cave-like quarry at the base of the hilltop village of Les Baux
de Provence. There in the cool darkness, 100 video projectors and 30 speakers
generate the choreographed movement of 2,000 images over an area of more than
75,000 square feet, onto walls as high as 45 feet and onto the floor. The
sound-and-light show changes once a year and is one of the most-popular,
most-visited sites in Provence. Since its opening in 2012, the Carrières
de Lumières has attracted close to 4 million visitors.
The program features an artist or group of artists,
usually--but not always--with a connection to Provence. Last year’s
show, Van Gogh: Starry Night, retraced the intense life of the
tormented Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh (1853–1890), who during the last ten
years of his life, painted more than 2,000 canvasses. The show ran from March
1, 2019 to January 5, 2020 and attracted 760,000 visitors.
The same show was also on view at the Atelier
des Lumieres in Paris, the sister venue to
the Carrières de Lumières, which opened in 2018. The Paris
venue currently has Monet,
Renoir...Chagall: Journeys Around the Mediterranean, on view until January
3, 2021.
There’s also digital art venue called the Bunker de Lumières in South
Korea (who knew?). You can learn about that one here.
They’re running the Van Gogh show until October 25, 2020.
A fourth venue called Bassins de Lumieres will
open on April 17 month in Bordeaux, with shows featuring Gustav Klimpt and Paul Klee. The €10
million project, ongoing since 2018, comprises four basins in an old submarine
base, one of five major structures built by German forces during the World War
II. (The others were located at Brest, Lorient, Saint-Nazaire and La Rochelle.)
The massive bunker is considered an essential part of Bordeaux’s cultural and
historic landscape. For the history of the base and lots more info, click here.
Like the Carrières de Lumières in Les Baux, the Paris, South Korea
and Bordeaux venues are operated by Culturespaces, which
manages many of France’s leading monuments, museums and art centers.
And now after a two-month closure, the Carrières de
Lumières in Les Baux launched its new show on Friday March 5. Called Dali: The
Endless Enigma, it encompasses more than 60 years in the career of the
Catalan master. From his initial Impressionist- and Cubist-inspired works to
his mystical works with religious themes and his surrealistic period, it also
incorporates elements of his work in the theater, photography and cinema. Saw it and loved it!
The show is set to the music of Pink Floyd, with tracks from The
Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall, “plunging visitors into a soaring, peaceful
and troubling world.” I’ve always felt that the sundtrack plays a
huge part in the enjoyment of the Carrières shows. In this
particular case, the show’s producers say that setting the exhibit
to the music of this legendary band “will take visitors on a timeless journey
that awakes the subconscious and buried thoughts in which the Dali oeuvre
remains a mystery and an endless enigma.”
As in years past, the main program is followed by a shorter one.
This year it’s Gaudi:
The Architect of the Imaginary, paying tribute to the limitless
creativity and modernist buildings of architect Antonio Gaudí, a great source
of inspiration for Dalí. To the sound of Gershwin, the Parc Güell,
the Casa Batlló, the Casa Milà and the Sagrada Família will come alive
“reflecting the spiritual illumination of the artist, who succeeded in giving
the abstract artistic form.” For a video of the Gaudi show, click here.
The Dali and Gaudi show runs until January 3, 2021.
If you’ve never been to the Carrières de Lumières, you wander at leisure around the vast, dark, cool indoor space. The stone floors are somewhat uneven so if you’re unsteady, you might bring a cane. There are stone benches for those who want them and you can stay as long as you like. The show plays on a continuous loop and lasts just under an hour. As you exit, there’s a small but interesting shop selling books and other items pertaining to the history of Provence, Les Baux and the Carrieres. A cafe is open from 10:30 to 5:30 daily.
The Dali and Gaudi show runs until January 3, 2021.
If you’ve never been to the Carrières de Lumières, you wander at leisure around the vast, dark, cool indoor space. The stone floors are somewhat uneven so if you’re unsteady, you might bring a cane. There are stone benches for those who want them and you can stay as long as you like. The show plays on a continuous loop and lasts just under an hour. As you exit, there’s a small but interesting shop selling books and other items pertaining to the history of Provence, Les Baux and the Carrieres. A cafe is open from 10:30 to 5:30 daily.
The Carrières de Lumières are located in the Val d’Enfer, a stone's
throw from the hilltop village of Les Baux. The quarries
here first produced white limestone, used in the construction of the village and its château. In 1821, aluminum ore bauxite was discovered here by geologist Pierre Berthier, who
named it after the village. In 1935, economic
competition from modern materials led to the quarries' closure. Dramatic
and otherworldly looking, the area has inspired artists of all sorts; it
provided the setting for Dante’s Divine Comedy and Gounod
created his opera Mireille here. Later, Cocteau came to
film The Testament of Orpheus in these very quarries. The
Carrières du Val d’Enfer have been awarded Natural Monument status in France.
Formerly known as the Cathedrale des Images, this particular
quarry was closed in 2011 and re-opened (after a €2
million re-do) as the Carrières de Lumières the following year.
For a look at all the shows since then, click here.
The Carrières de
Lumières is open seven days a week. Hours
are as follows:
March : 9:30 am - 6 pm.
April, May, June, Sept and Oct: 9:30 am - 7 pm.
July & Aug: 9 am - 7:30 pm
Nov, Dec, Jan : 10 am - 6 pm
Last entry is always one hour before closing.
As in years past, you can just show up at
the Carrières and pay your admission fee then. But to avoid long lines in season, they suggest you buy tickets online here. You can also buy them ahead at
the Carrières ticket office or at all FNAC stores. Adult tickets to
the Carrières are €13, seniors (65 and up) are €12; reduced rate for
students is €11, and kids under 7 are free. There are also family rates and
combined-visit prices (for the Carrières, the Chateau
des Baux and the Musée
Yves Brayer) on the website, along with background, directions and much more.
Route de Maillane
13520 Les Baux de Provence
Tel: +33 4 90 54 47 37
Photos: (1, 2) Poster and video clip for the Dali show. (3, 4) Two
stills from the show. (5) The old bauxite quarry in daylight; the
geologist who first discovered aluminum ore here named it after the
village. (6) One section of the vast space is lit beautifully for private
parties and other events. I took this photo at the launch party on Thursday
night. (7) One of my favorite photos of the village of Les Baux, taken by Philippe Clairo. (8, 9) At the Atelier
des Lumières in Paris, the show "Monet, Renoir...Chagall," opened February 28.
(10) A fourth venue --in Bordeaux--will open on April 17 in a World War II
submarine basin. The main show at the Bassins de Lumières will feature the
works of Gustav Klimt, followed by a shorter one about Paul
Klee.
As always, Julie, thanks for this information-filled post about Les Carrières! A stop here is always a highlight on the south of France tour I lead with my co-host, Deborah Bine, each summer. This year we will be bringing two groups there ~ one in June and another in September. Just the kind of double-dipping I love! I'm off to share your post ~ every visitor to your wonderful part of France needs to know about it. Bises!
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