Find out more about Bassins de Lumières, a place where immersive art and water come together in a unique space located in Bordeaux.
If after visiting les Carrières de Lumières in Les Baux-de-Provence or les Ateliers de Lumières in Paris you were left wanting more, don’t hesitate to go to les Bassins de Lumières in Bordeaux.
The exhibition will be on view until December 2021
It is a project similar to the one that can be seen in Provence and Paris, but the big difference is that it is located in an underwater base. This space where water is present reminds us of museums such as the Cisternerne in Copenhagen, although with some differences in its previous use and in the type of tour. This proposal was created by Culturespaces, one of the main French companies in charge of the management and promotion of museums and art centres.
Screening of Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s Bal du moulin de la Galette
At Bassins de Lumières you can enjoy immersive digital exhibitions that pay homage to contemporary art and renowned artists. Unlike Carrières de Lumières, Bassins de Lumières is three times bigger than Carrières de Lumières and five times bigger than Paris.
View of the Bassins de Lumières exhibition
The projection of the works is adapted to the large dimensions of the space and at the same time they are reflected in the water, offering a new dimension. The route passes along walkways that allow for this unique view. In total there are four sites with water 110m long, 22m wide and 12 metres deep. There is also the Citerne, a place where you can learn more about the links between the original works, their production and their respective museums.
Impressionism in the spotlight
From 19 May until 2 January 2022, the long-term exhibition entitled “Monet, Renoir… Chagall. Voyages en Méditerranée”. Works by Renoir, Monet, Pissarro, Signac, Derain, Vlaminck, Dufy, Chagall and others will be shown for 45 minutes. This exhibition will delve into impressionism centred on the Mediterranean area. This has been created by Gianfranco Iannuzzi, Renato Gatto, Massimiliano Siccardi with the production of Culturespaces Digital.
Exhibition “Monet, Renoir… Chagall. Voyages en Méditerranée”.
The short exhibition “Yves Klein, infinity blue” will be on display. This is also a proposal with a Mediterranean influence, as its creator Yves Klein is from Nice and sees the sea as a source of inspiration. This 10-minute creation takes a look at his works, such as the famous IKB (International Klein Blue). It was staged and directed by Cutback and produced by Culturespaces Digital.
Projection of Yves Klein’s “Untitled Colored Fire Painting”.
In addition to these spaces with water, there is Le Cube, an area where contemporary artists specialising in immersive art will show works by current digital artists.
“Everything” and “Memories” will be Le Cube’s exhibitions in 2021. The former has been designed by Nohlab exclusively for Culturespaces. It is an invitation to the public to “observe the elements around them as they are, to question their existenceand consider new possibilities”. As for “Memories” designed by the creative studio Spectre Lab, it refers to thehuman brain and its capacity to store information and memories.
View of the Everything exhibition by Culturespaces and Nohlab
A place with history
Apart from being an artistic and cultural space, it is also a place steeped in history. This submarine base was built by Germans and Italians during the Second World War during the Nazi occupation of France to house their fleet. In the 1960s it was already attracting the attention of different artistic fields such as cinema and performance art. The public was able to visit the base, which was converted into a space dedicated to yachts and recreational craft from 1993 to 1997. The renovation to become the current space began in 2018 with the help of Culturespaces.
Mapping of the work Antibes by Claude Monet
Images provided by Bassins de Lumières
Address: Impasse Brown de Colstoun, 33300 Bordeaux, France.
Opening hours: Open every day of the year except when exhibitions are being mounted. Opening hours from April to September are 10am to 7pm Monday to Thursday and Sunday, and 10am to 9pm Friday and Saturday. From October to March the opening hours are from 10am to 6pm Monday to Thursday and Sunday, and from 10am to 7pm Friday and Saturday.
