Art comes alive, exploding in color and movement at the immersive Carrières de Lumières in les Baux-de-Provence and at the Atelier des Lumières in Paris. And in 2021, the experience will be very rich, as the two themes are:

  • Gaudi, the Architect of the Imaginary
  • Dali, the Endless Enigma

Music accompanies you as you dive into the universe of these artists. Projections on the walls and floors make you feel as you are swimming in the different works by Dali and Gaudi.

Ateliers des Lumieres Paris exhibition 2020

Atelier des Lumieres © Culturespaces / Nuit de Chine

Both venues are great, however we prefer the Carrières de Lumières in les Baux. The spectacle takes place in an old quarry called Les Grands Fonds, started in 1800 in order to fulfil the increasing demand for building stone at that time. The quarry closed in 1935, as new building materials such as steel and concrete were being developed. In 1959, the artistic drama of the site took over, becoming the backdrop for some operas, films sets, etc. The scenographer Joseph Svoboda had the idea of using the exceptional space for a sound and light show. The actual Carrières de Lumières opened in 2012.

If you are not visiting beautiful Provence, take advantage of the sister site, the Atelier des Lumières, in Paris. Housed in a foundry dating from 1835, the experience is also enchanting.

Whichever site you visit, it is necessary to book in advance via their websites.

Salvador Dali

Prominent Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dali was born in Figueres, Spain, in 1904, only 9 months after his brother of the same name died from gastroenteritis. When Dali was five years old, he was taken to his brother's grave and was told that he was his brother's reincarnation. Now how surrealist is that?

In the late 1920s, Dali made many trips to Paris and frequented other artitists, such as Picasso, Magritte, Miro and the poet Eluard. It was at this time that he was introduced to the surrealist movement. Dali is probably best known for his 1931 painting, The Persistence of Memory. In addition to painting, his repertoire also included film, sculpture and photography.

Dali married Gala (who had previously been married to Eluard) in 1934, and she became his primary muse as well as his business manager. Both were artists and enjoyed indulging in unusual and grandiose behavior. Gala died in 1982, and it is alleged that she had been dosing Dali with a mix of unprescribed medicine that damaged his nervous system and eventually made it impossible for him to create his art. He died in Figuera in 1989 at the age of 84.

Dali et Gala

Dali and his muse and wife, Gala (Photo : Eric Spiller, Culturepaces)

 

Antoni Gaudi

Born in Catalonia in 1852, Antoni Gaudi showed an early interest in architecture, graduating from the Provincial School of Architecture in Barcelona in 1878. Greatly influenced by nature, Gaudi was part of the Catalan Modernista movement. His works are peppered throughout the city of Barcelona, crowned by the Sagrada Familia basilica. Gaudi died in 1926 (after being hit by a trolley car), while working on the Sagrada Familia. The Basilica is still under construction today, with a completion target date of 2026, marking the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's passing.

Sagrada Familia

The Sagrada Familia in Barcelona (Photo : Pixabay)

 - Laura Crotet, France Just For You

If you are inspired to visit other "Wonders of France", read more here.

France Just For You

Experts in self-drive tours in France

Travelers Reviews

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Linda & Scott
This was our first visit to France to celebrate my 40th birthday. We started in Reims/Champagne region, Burgundy, Loire Valley Normandy and finished in Paris. Our 21 day trip was exceptional in every way! Emilie and her team thought of everything and their service from fist email to our return home could not be faulted. The only way I can describe …
Jeanie & David
We were planning a trip to the Ryder Cup and looking for other places to visit while in France. I happened upon the France Just for You website and started some planning with Emilie. She took over and gave us great plans for every day and great accomodations. All of her suggestions were perfect, actually too much for us to do each day. Her travel …
Matt from Australia
A "Pinch Me" Tour. Expertly organised. We just spent the most wonderful month in France on our honeymoon curated by Laura and Emilie in such a way that we felt we experienced the very essence of France. From the Loire Valley, through the Biarritz area, the Basque region and finally to Provence. The itinerary gave us so many "pinch me" moments that …
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Laura and Emilie organized a magical trip for us. Every little touch, every recommendation, every part of the trip was absolutely perfect and made our trip even more special! We definitely plan to organize more trips with them!
Tracey & Sandra
Without a doubt one of the best vacations my friend and I have ever taken! We keep raving to all about how authentic the trip was. Not only was every aspect of this trip gorgeous from the grape vineyards to the lavender fields to the mountainous towns and cathedrals, but the details were second to none. Emilie and Laura provided my friend and I …
Robert
From Bordeaux, Medoc wineries, Basque country of France and Spain, Carcassone, Dordogne, pre-historic caves, beautiful medieval towns and villages, switch-back mountain roads, sunshine, truffles, food & wine and gracious b&b hosts to final flight home, this was the trip of a lifetime! We drove over 3,200 kms with the help of our included gps and …