Grand Palais Immersif, a subsidiary created by the Réunion des musées nationaux – Grand Palais and a developer of digital exhibitions, is celebrating the opening of its fifth exhibition: Loading, Urban Art in a Digital Age, which will run until 21 July 2024.
The new show, which features interactive and diverse media displays, allows guests to explore how urban artistic practices and intents have drastically transformed, as they take a physical and virtual tour of the immersive cathedral room. Urban art transcends boundaries and adopts new codes. Through the use of social networks, artists aim to combine artistic and political goals more powerfully, seeking visibility and taking unconventional shapes while forging new connections with the public on a variety of levels.
Urban art meets immersive tech
The exhibition is the first to bring together immersive technologies and urban art, bridging the gap between image production and representation through the use of drones, 3D animation, anamorphic giant effects, and interactive possibilities.
Loading showcases the works of over 60 artists from all over the world, some of which have already vanished, in a single, hour-long programme. It suggests a voyage through time and place, starting in New York City in the 1970s and 1980s to Mexico, Norway, France, India, Egypt, and Kosovo. Additionally, it invites local artists to produce and exhibit their work.
The immersive experience also features original sound and music compositions by Roque Rivas, who combines songs and noises (from Run DMC, Sandman, Genesis, the Clash, Daft Punk, Beyoncé, etc.) in an Ircam-designed original soundtrack.
Through eight chapters—Call to Action, (In)Visible, Bombing the Metaverse, Hello My Name Is (interactive), Hactivism, World Wild Walls (interactive), Mural Magnets (interactive), In the Streets (interactive), and more—visitors will learn about urban art in all of its forms.
Additionally, events hosted within the space will welcome visual and aural creations, made possible by the available setup. The configuration is scalable and replicable in many formats, says Laurent Dondey, who is responsible for business development at Grand Palais Immersif. Interested parties can contact Dondey by email for more information.
This is the first exhibition on urban art that benefits from innovative technologies and digital creativity, thanks to the Atlas V studio. It is also scalable and will be available for touring. Following the official opening, the experience has received positive reviews and press coverage.
Earlier this year, Grand Palais Immersif announced record-breaking attendance for its ETERNAL MUCHA exhibition, presented at the Opera-Bastille venue. This show is now available for touring, alongside the six other exhibitions available in Grand Palais Immersif’s portfolio.
