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Famous Paintings Go on Show, Without a Canvas in Sight Famous Paintings Go on Show, Without a Canvas in Sight
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BORDEAUX, France — On the walls inside of a former World War II submarine base, a huge Gustav Klimt tree expands its branches and a gold Paul Klee fish floats by. The bright, changing colors of these projections are reflected by four saltwater pools. Visitors walk along gangways, watching the floor-to-ceiling digital animations based on famous works by Klimt, Klee and Egon Schiele.BORDEAUX, France — On the walls inside of a former World War II submarine base, a huge Gustav Klimt tree expands its branches and a gold Paul Klee fish floats by. The bright, changing colors of these projections are reflected by four saltwater pools. Visitors walk along gangways, watching the floor-to-ceiling digital animations based on famous works by Klimt, Klee and Egon Schiele.
The show, called “Bassins de Lumières,” or “Basins of Light,” opened on June 10 after a delay caused by France’s coronavirus lockdown. It is the fourth immersive art space created by Culturespaces, a Paris-based company that manages cultural sites and produces digital exhibitions. Its second, “L’Atelier des Lumières,” has been a huge hit in Paris, drawing 1.2 million visitors in 2018 and nearly 1.4 million the next year.The show, called “Bassins de Lumières,” or “Basins of Light,” opened on June 10 after a delay caused by France’s coronavirus lockdown. It is the fourth immersive art space created by Culturespaces, a Paris-based company that manages cultural sites and produces digital exhibitions. Its second, “L’Atelier des Lumières,” has been a huge hit in Paris, drawing 1.2 million visitors in 2018 and nearly 1.4 million the next year.
At the end of 2018, Culturespaces opened the third of these immersive shows in a bunker on Jeju Island in South Korea. The company plans to create more of them in Dubai, New York City and Chicago.At the end of 2018, Culturespaces opened the third of these immersive shows in a bunker on Jeju Island in South Korea. The company plans to create more of them in Dubai, New York City and Chicago.
The formula is straightforward: Culturespaces finds a structure with a notable history, like a former foundry or a bunker; renovates it; and adds offices, control rooms and a reception area. Then the venue opens with a flashy exhibition of digitized works by famous artists, projected onto the walls and animated to a soundtrack. A team of producers has so far created 15 digital exhibitions for Culturespaces, using works by artists including Marc Chagall, Yves Klein, Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh.The formula is straightforward: Culturespaces finds a structure with a notable history, like a former foundry or a bunker; renovates it; and adds offices, control rooms and a reception area. Then the venue opens with a flashy exhibition of digitized works by famous artists, projected onto the walls and animated to a soundtrack. A team of producers has so far created 15 digital exhibitions for Culturespaces, using works by artists including Marc Chagall, Yves Klein, Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh.
Sylvie Pflieger, an associate professor at the University of Paris who studies the cultural economy, said in an email that Culturespaces was “the true pioneer of ‘immersive art,’ which transports the individual to a dreamlike location.”Sylvie Pflieger, an associate professor at the University of Paris who studies the cultural economy, said in an email that Culturespaces was “the true pioneer of ‘immersive art,’ which transports the individual to a dreamlike location.”
With its “Lumières” experiences, Culturespaces is pushing the boundaries between entertainment and art, and between real life and virtual reality. Gone are the frames and the meditative stillness viewers are used to in museums, replaced by huge images that transform to the music of artists as varied as Beethoven and Janis Joplin.With its “Lumières” experiences, Culturespaces is pushing the boundaries between entertainment and art, and between real life and virtual reality. Gone are the frames and the meditative stillness viewers are used to in museums, replaced by huge images that transform to the music of artists as varied as Beethoven and Janis Joplin.
Culturespaces is used to operating outside the norm: For many years, the company’s business has been the management of cultural and heritage sites in France for profit, an unusual setup in a country where the arts rely on significant state funding.Culturespaces is used to operating outside the norm: For many years, the company’s business has been the management of cultural and heritage sites in France for profit, an unusual setup in a country where the arts rely on significant state funding.
Though Culturespaces can replicate its digital shows around the world without the financial burdens of handling real-life artworks, there are other major costs: Preparing the Bordeaux submarine base, for example, cost 14 million euros, about $15.9 million. Some of what this money paid for is 80 speakers, 90 projectors in climate-controlled boxes, 75 miles of optical fiber cables and on-site servers handling approximately 10 terabytes of data.Though Culturespaces can replicate its digital shows around the world without the financial burdens of handling real-life artworks, there are other major costs: Preparing the Bordeaux submarine base, for example, cost 14 million euros, about $15.9 million. Some of what this money paid for is 80 speakers, 90 projectors in climate-controlled boxes, 75 miles of optical fiber cables and on-site servers handling approximately 10 terabytes of data.
Digital shows are only one part of what Culturespaces does. Founded in 1990 by Bruno Monnier, who worked at France’s culture ministry before that, Culturespaces also manages arts and heritage sites across France, such as the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild in the South of France and the amphitheater in the city of Nîmes. Often, the owners of these monuments, chateaus or museums are towns and regions and, by extension, the taxpayers who live there.Digital shows are only one part of what Culturespaces does. Founded in 1990 by Bruno Monnier, who worked at France’s culture ministry before that, Culturespaces also manages arts and heritage sites across France, such as the Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild in the South of France and the amphitheater in the city of Nîmes. Often, the owners of these monuments, chateaus or museums are towns and regions and, by extension, the taxpayers who live there.
A private takeover of a public institution is unusual in France. On average, cities spend 8 percent of their budget on culture, said Dr. Pflieger, the University of Paris professor. But arts funding on the national and regional levels has stagnated since the early 2000s, she added.A private takeover of a public institution is unusual in France. On average, cities spend 8 percent of their budget on culture, said Dr. Pflieger, the University of Paris professor. But arts funding on the national and regional levels has stagnated since the early 2000s, she added.
“Cities are having to handle more and more burdens and are therefore reducing their cultural budgets,” Dr. Pflieger said.“Cities are having to handle more and more burdens and are therefore reducing their cultural budgets,” Dr. Pflieger said.
When Culturespaces takes over, its goal is profitability: Owners receive 5 to 15 percent of any profit they turn. Mr. Monnier, the company’s president, explained the four streams of revenue that his team focuses on: “First, classic visitor activities like guides and ticketing services. Second, the library and the gift shop. Third, the restaurant. Fourth, events.”When Culturespaces takes over, its goal is profitability: Owners receive 5 to 15 percent of any profit they turn. Mr. Monnier, the company’s president, explained the four streams of revenue that his team focuses on: “First, classic visitor activities like guides and ticketing services. Second, the library and the gift shop. Third, the restaurant. Fourth, events.”
“Events” include exhibitions, and for some of the venues Culturespaces runs, such as the Maillol Museum and the Musée Jacquemart-André in Paris, those are crucial. The Musée Jacquemart-André is currently showing paintings by J.M.W. Turner on loan from the Tate museums in Britain.“Events” include exhibitions, and for some of the venues Culturespaces runs, such as the Maillol Museum and the Musée Jacquemart-André in Paris, those are crucial. The Musée Jacquemart-André is currently showing paintings by J.M.W. Turner on loan from the Tate museums in Britain.
Mr. Monnier said that drawing visitors with exhibitions had become harder over the years as heavy hitters like the Louvre in Paris have spent a great deal to produce blockbuster shows: The museum’s once-in-a-lifetime Leonardo show, which ran from November through February, had 1.1 million visitors. Competition has also come from museums funded by the luxury-goods billionaires Bernard Arnault, whose Fondation Louis Vuitton opened in 2014, and François Pinault, who is set to open a showcase for his art collection next year.Mr. Monnier said that drawing visitors with exhibitions had become harder over the years as heavy hitters like the Louvre in Paris have spent a great deal to produce blockbuster shows: The museum’s once-in-a-lifetime Leonardo show, which ran from November through February, had 1.1 million visitors. Competition has also come from museums funded by the luxury-goods billionaires Bernard Arnault, whose Fondation Louis Vuitton opened in 2014, and François Pinault, who is set to open a showcase for his art collection next year.
Updated July 7, 2020
The coronavirus can stay aloft for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air, infecting people as they inhale, mounting scientific evidence suggests. This risk is highest in crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation, and may help explain super-spreading events reported in meatpacking plants, churches and restaurants. It’s unclear how often the virus is spread via these tiny droplets, or aerosols, compared with larger droplets that are expelled when a sick person coughs or sneezes, or transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, said Linsey Marr, an aerosol expert at Virginia Tech. Aerosols are released even when a person without symptoms exhales, talks or sings, according to Dr. Marr and more than 200 other experts, who have outlined the evidence in an open letter to the World Health Organization.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles.
A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico.
The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth.
The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave.
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
“These large exhibitions are expensive,” Dr. Pflieger said. “It is necessary to obtain loans from museums, particularly foreign ones; ensure the transport of works in good condition, which implies gigantic insurance costs, and so on. It is clear that small museums cannot do this.”“These large exhibitions are expensive,” Dr. Pflieger said. “It is necessary to obtain loans from museums, particularly foreign ones; ensure the transport of works in good condition, which implies gigantic insurance costs, and so on. It is clear that small museums cannot do this.”
The thinking behind Culturespaces’ turn toward immersive art spaces was simple, Mr. Monnier said: “We can work with images of the painting and not the real painting itself. That means no transportation, no security service, no insurance.”The thinking behind Culturespaces’ turn toward immersive art spaces was simple, Mr. Monnier said: “We can work with images of the painting and not the real painting itself. That means no transportation, no security service, no insurance.”
When “L’Atelier des Lumières” opened in Paris, it brought in a broader demographic than Culturespaces’ other venues, Mr. Monnier said: “People who never go to museums, younger generations, guys and girls who are 16-year-olds walking around hand in hand, families, grandparents, young parents.”When “L’Atelier des Lumières” opened in Paris, it brought in a broader demographic than Culturespaces’ other venues, Mr. Monnier said: “People who never go to museums, younger generations, guys and girls who are 16-year-olds walking around hand in hand, families, grandparents, young parents.”
So-called immersive experiences are not necessarily new. Constance DeVereaux, the director of arts leadership and cultural management at University of Connecticut, said they were “something you find at Disneyland,” adding, “I was going to those in the 1960s.” Dr. DeVereaux said that though there was nothing wrong with turning art into entertainment, the format of “Lumières” might prevent viewers from thinking too deeply about what they saw. “There’s so much going on when you observe a work of art that could be dimmed by the giant digital experience,” Dr. DeVereaux said.So-called immersive experiences are not necessarily new. Constance DeVereaux, the director of arts leadership and cultural management at University of Connecticut, said they were “something you find at Disneyland,” adding, “I was going to those in the 1960s.” Dr. DeVereaux said that though there was nothing wrong with turning art into entertainment, the format of “Lumières” might prevent viewers from thinking too deeply about what they saw. “There’s so much going on when you observe a work of art that could be dimmed by the giant digital experience,” Dr. DeVereaux said.
But Mr. Monnier thinks the scale of the “Lumières” shows is exactly why they leave an impression. “You are completely inside. It’s completely emotional. It’s not just paintings on the wall,” he said.But Mr. Monnier thinks the scale of the “Lumières” shows is exactly why they leave an impression. “You are completely inside. It’s completely emotional. It’s not just paintings on the wall,” he said.
Over the years, some in the art world have expressed fear of creeping privatization in countries where funding the arts has long been the responsibility of the government, but Christiane Hellmanzik, a professor of economics at the Technical University of Dortmund, said that applying a more business-oriented mind set to art was smart.Over the years, some in the art world have expressed fear of creeping privatization in countries where funding the arts has long been the responsibility of the government, but Christiane Hellmanzik, a professor of economics at the Technical University of Dortmund, said that applying a more business-oriented mind set to art was smart.
“From a pure economic perspective, if you bundle several ventures, that makes a lot of sense,” Dr. Hellmanzik said, referring to Culturespaces’ strategy of diversifying streams of income and creating a digital experience that can be replicated around the world, as well as a museum management technique that can be applied at different venues.“From a pure economic perspective, if you bundle several ventures, that makes a lot of sense,” Dr. Hellmanzik said, referring to Culturespaces’ strategy of diversifying streams of income and creating a digital experience that can be replicated around the world, as well as a museum management technique that can be applied at different venues.
“That’s how Google works,” she added. “Why should the art world not operate like that?”“That’s how Google works,” she added. “Why should the art world not operate like that?”