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Page 3 Reopening of the “Carrières du Val d’Enfer”
Page 4 Synopsis of the new show
Page 7 The creators
Page 10 New high-performance technological equipment
Page 11 New show – “Metamorphoses”
Page 12 The “Carrières de Lumières”
Page 15 Lighting up the Carrières
Page 16 Culturespaces, show producer
Page 17 Practical information
Page 18 Visuals for the press
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The famous shows produced every year
at the ’Carrières du Val d’Enfer’, renamed
‘Carrières de Lumières’, are restarting on 30 March 2012
In 2011, the town of Les Baux de Provence asked Culturespaces to take over management of its
famous audio visual shows at the Carrières du Val d’Enfer quarry under a public service concession
agreement. This is another sign of its confidence in Culturespaces which has been managing the
Château des Baux de Provence since 1993.
The site will reopen its doors on 30 March 2012 under its new name “Carrières de Lumières” with the
show “Gauguin and Van Gogh, the colour painters”, created by Gianfranco Iannuzzi with Renato
Gatto and Massimiliano Siccardi. Culturespaces has chosen this name to give this man-made site a
new focus and emphasise the ever-present role of light here.
In the heart of Alpilles, the monumental “Carrières de Lumières” host extraordinary multimedia
shows which are unique in the world.
Culturespaces is organising an innovative and ambitious project with 4 key aspects:
� A new programme of cultural events on the theme of the History of Art in the Carrières rooms
and galleries: audio visual shows, live shows, concerts, lectures, and more.The ‘Carrières de
Lumières’ aims to become a cultural hub for multiple events, and will be offering one big new
show every year profiling the greatest names in the History of Art.
� A new event in which the Carrières quarries are gradually lit up to highlight the unique nature of
the site between each show, allowing visitors to admire their mineral beauty.
� New high-performance technological equipment for this outstanding audio visual show. Each
area of the Carrières invites visitors on an extraordinary audio visual journey made possible by
cutting-edge technological equipment and methods developed by Culturespaces and its multimedia
partners: 70 video projectors, 3D audio adapted to the specific characteristics of the site, etc.
� More surfaces used in the show to give it more breadth and extend this artistic journey.
Spectators are totally immersed in the image projected onto all the surfaces of the rock. We are
now using twice the number of video projectors in order to cover twice the wall area. The ground is
completely covered, too, and becomes a vast carpet of images.
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The aim of this show is to show the links between Paul Gauguin and Vincent Van Gogh and to
analyse their very different ways of using colour. While Gauguin uses well defined areas of flat
colour, Van Gogh prefers vibrant layers of paint which bring a relief effect to his paintings.
The show touches on their two careers, which had a number of similarities: both started out
painting landscapes in northern Europe (Brittany for Gauguin and the Netherlands for Van Gogh)
before returning to the South of France, later reaching an explosion of colour inspired by the Pacific
islands for Gauguin and northern France for Van Gogh.
The seven sequences of this show transport visitors in music to the colourful world of these two
painters and submerge them in a world of images, where paintings come to life before their very
eyes.
Van Gogh, the northern prelude This prelude introduces us to the austere northern
light in Van Gogh’s first paintings. The dark sombre
colours depict ordinary people in hard living
conditions. Like a prelude at the Opera, this phase
shows the audience an important but often little
known aspect of the artist's work.
Gauguin in Pont-Aven, a new theory
of picture Gauguin went to Pont-Aven in Brittany for the first
time in 1886. There he encountered the culture and
customs and discovered its colours and vibrant green
landscapes. The large expanses and special
atmosphere here inspired him to fill sketch pads and
to create his own personal style. He developed a
new theory of picture characterised by the
simplification of forms, the removal of details and
the use of expanses of colour to preserve only what
is essential. Away from Paris, he was able to work
freely on the expressive effects of exaggerating
shapes, combined with a wealth of colour and
stylised lines. This period of intensive research shows
a move away from impressionist forms and
techniques and the development of his own stylistic
vocabulary.
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Gauguin & Van Gogh -
correspondence
The third sequence brings the two artists together
through their correspondence, which shows their
coming together, their encounter and their
separation. Their exchanges went in fits and starts,
but each of them kept up ongoing conversations
with friends and family. Van Gogh corresponded
regularly with his brother Theo. His letters talked
about painting, Gauguin, art and his aspirations as an
artist. The artists’ own handwriting is displayed
dynamically, and their words resonate around
various parts of the quarry.
The encounter at Arles The two painters met for the first time amidst the
warm colours of the South of France. Gauguin
joined Van Gogh’s ‘Studio of the South’ on 23
October 1888. The latter had a deep desire to bring
together artists on the fringe of traditional art
markets to create synergy through collaboration. The
painters of the Studio of the South gathered in a
small yellow house that Van Gogh rented outside the
old city wall of Arles.
This encounter marked the beginning of a
partnership filled with opposition and conflict,
admiration and contempt, but with only one
objective – authenticity in painting, and specifically,
in the use of colour. Two months after his arrival,
Gauguin left the Studio of the South because of
insurmountable differences in personality and ideas.
At this point, Van Gogh was already starting to go
mad, and cut off part of his ear in a nervous state.
They continued, nonetheless, to correspond, but
they would never meet again.
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Gauguin in the Pacific islands, back to
Eden After several intense months in Arles, Gauguin
decided to head to Tahiti. This was the start of
“the Studio of the Tropics”. Gauguin produced a
great deal of work in Papeete and its surroundings:
he sculpted, painted and engraved, taking
documents that he had brought from Paris as his
inspiration (photographs, Japanese prints, etc.) and
superimposing them onto Polynesian superstitions
and customs.
These far-off islands plunge us into a mythical
world. The sensory dimension of this new picture
world is expressed with the generous use of colours.
The artist’s palette becomes both harmonious and
dissonant, and ranges from pink to indigo, lemon-
yellow to red ochres, jade to emerald.
Van Gogh in Saint-Rémy, under the Southern sun Van Gogh stayed in Provence, where the turbulent
power of the sky, cypress and olive trees reflected
his tormented soul which can be seen in the curves
of his drawings, the strength of his lines, the dense
texture of the paint and the intensity of colour.
On 8 May 1889, he committed himself to the asylum
in Saint-Rémy. Throughout his stay there, he
maintained an imaginative and creative mind, and
adopted a more innovative approach with a strong
drawing style, bright colours and daring
perspectives like the famous “The Starry Night”, or
his famous series of “Cypresses”.
The Auvers-sur-Oise plain This artistic journey comes to an end with two
intensely emotional paintings. “Wheat field with
crows” is a strong and poetic image, full of the
vibrant life of nature. The sky is stormy, and the
crows are flying off from the wheat fields.
Then the image of almond blossoms points towards
renewal. Unlike the previous one, this painting is full
of hope and life. It is the sign that painting is
immortal, and that it does not end with the painter
but lives on.
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Gianfranco IANNUZZI trained as a sociologist and photographer.
His artistic approach uses image, sound and light to communicate through the senses. He works to
provide a cultural and artistic re-imagining of diverse existing places and spaces, both indoor and
outdoor. On each occasion he creates an installation that respects, profiles and transforms the space
in a temporary way.
He designs an “interactive environment” which spectators can move through at their own pace, and
even change their perception of the show. The use of state-of-the art multimedia and interactive
technology encourages audiences to participate and get actively involved with the work of art.
He has been producing shows for the Carrières at Les Baux de Provence for many years.
He is currently working on a number of projects across Europe and the world, filling new spaces with
his artistic creations.
Renato GATTO is a drama teacher and assistant director.
He has produced his own teaching and training programme focussed on the relationship between
the body and the voice, gestures and sounds. He teaches vocal technique in the main Italian theatre
schools, and works as a teacher and performer with the Fenice Theatre teaching project in Venice.
He is Head of the Accademia Teatrale Veneta actor training school.
Massimiliano SICCARDI is a video director and multimedia artist.
He has developed a research and production business using new image, sound and video
technologies. He works with images, seeking to integrate them into artistic performances and
choreographies.
Recent work
2010 “Ponts”: multimedia installation in the Cardinals’ Vestry, Palais des Papes, Avignon
2009 “Picasso”: show for Cathédrale d'Images
2009 “Digital Dynamic Fresco” - a permanent installation in the dome of the Petruzelli Theatre, Bari
2009 “Giotto – Francis, radiant humility” - video installation in Notre-Dame du Val-de-Grâce, Paris
2008 Permanent installation at the Lapidary Museum, Narbonne
2007 Multimedia installation at Jas De Bouffan, Aix en Provence
2007 “Venise” - show for Cathédrale d’Images
2006 Light and sound installation at the Roman Horreum, Narbonne
2006 “Couleurs Cézanne”: show for Cathédrale d’Images
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Current projects
“IMAX Flying Theater Project” – Vancouver, Canada
“Grande Exhibitions” - Melbourne, Australia
“Debbané Museum” - Saida, Lebanon
“Tokyo National Art Center Project” – Japan*
“Kyoto University Hall Project” – Japan*
* postponed due to 2011 earthquake
Interview with Gianfranco Iannuzzi…
1. Where does the idea for this project come from?
G.I.: The idea behind this project is to take the opportunity to go deeper into the world of two
painters, and to bring them together in one outstanding and grandiose location to tell the story of a
legendary and intriguing relationship using only images and musics, providing a total immersion in
colour through the work of two exceptional artists.
2. What is your feeling about the peculiar friendship between Gauguin and Van Gogh?
G.I.: Despite their differences in personality and artistic perspective, it is beyond doubt that Van Gogh
and Gauguin influenced each other. I don't think, though, that we could call it friendship. Van Gogh
believed that Gauguin was the artist who could help him develop his Studio of the South idea, a
community of artists that would correspond to his ideals for life and painting.
For Gauguin, it was nothing more than a temporary opportunity to help him find his way, a turning
point in his career that marked a before and after. Both of their techniques involved the juxtaposition
of colour. This is one of the show's key themes.
3. How do you portray this relationship in the show?
G.I.: The relationship between the two artists is shown as two parallel lives which criss-cross like
meteorites, moving together and then apart.
They have different starting points:
“Nuenen: the austere northern light” and “Pont-Aven: a new theory of picture”
An encounter and a confrontation:
“Correspondence” and “Arles: the encounter”
Two different journeys with a similar destination:
“The Studio of the Tropics” and “Saint-Rémy and the Auvers Plain”
5. What do you want to communicate to the audience through this work?
G.I.: We’re not trying to undermine the role of museums and exhibition halls, which is where people
should go to discover a painter’s work. Our creative work aims to amplify the emotional aspect of
each work by letting the general public engage with it in a multi-sensory, three-dimensional
experience.
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I also want to get the viewers out of a classic passive attitude and draw them into the work, as if they
were “actors” on a huge stage. When I see couples dancing in the quarry or children playing with the
images on the ground, I feel I have succeeded.
6. You have produced a number of shows at the Carrières du Val d’Enfer. What does the new
technological capability of the Carrières offer you as a creator? How will it improve the audience’s
experience?
G.I.: Technology is no more than a tool. But the better the tool, the more room there is to express
ideas and creativity.
We now have twice the number of top-of-the-range projectors, and their brightness has been
increased. There are now 4000 m² of vertical projection areas, and a new 2000 m² carpet of images
has been produced on the floor.
All this has required significant IT investment in both hardware and software to keep the show
synchronised and manage the room.
Audio has been a particular priority, and we now have a top quality multi-channel sound system.
These technological developments will create a strong audio visual impact and immerse the audience
in the show.
Finally, the scenic lighting of the quarry’s “architecture” will allow the audience to admire its beauty
between shows.
7. How do you approach the production of a show of this scale?
G.I.: The artist’s point of view is the starting point for the work.
The artist’s work is spread around the space of the quarry, and members of the audience reconstruct
it depending on their position and how they move around. The viewer’s perspective is my starting
point as I look at the paintings and the space.
For my partners Renato Gatto and Massimiliano Siccardi and myself, the key is first to get to grips
with the overall work of the artists from the point of view of both their pictures and their theory. We
then do a great deal of selection and iconographical development. The works are then broken down
into the different figures and colours that make them up, which we use to construct the animations
and visual effect. All this material finds its place in the scenario that we have written beforehand and
which forms the show’s narrative journey. The music supports and provides structure to the narrative,
gives keys to understanding it and deepens the overall emotional impact.
This approach offers each viewer the opportunity to create their own show depending on their level of
perception, their movements and their own knowledge.
8. Tell us why we should come and see the show.
G.I.: First and foremost, because it will be like dreaming with your eyes open. And to discover – or
rediscover – the work of these two exceptional artists, through a total immersion in colour.
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The Carrières de Lumières invites visitors on an extraordinary audio visual journey made possible by
cutting-edge technological equipment and methods developed by Culturespaces and its multimedia
partners.
- The only video equipment of its kind in France : we are now using twice as many projectors in order to
cover twice the wall area. It is the largest permanent video installation in France with 70 video
projectors, driven by 70 servers projecting images onto a surface area of more than 6,000 m². The
ground is completely covered, too, and becomes a vast carpet of images.
Each server delivers a programmed image to its video projector, and it is all synchronised by a
production computer that holds this ultimate installation together.
- 3D audio adapted to the specifics of the site. Each speaker covers 45 degrees of wall and broadcasts
a more homogenous sound wherever the spectator is.
- The installation of fibre optic cables has revolutionised the installation with smoother image
transmission. Each video signal is converted into light using fibre optic technology, and these signals
can therefore be carried up to 500 metres, in a higher resolution than Full HD.
- The installation of a complete automatic management system for multi-screen production, sound
and lighting.
There is nothing else like this classified natural site with its bespoke technology – just what is needed
for a show on this scale.
KEY FIGURES
Total surface area of the Carrières: 5000 m²
Surface area for projection: 6000 m²
(4000 m² on the walls and 2000 m² on the floor)
Height of projection: 6 to 14 metres
Show duration: 35 minutes
Technical equipment: 70 video projectors 22 speakers
Number of images projected per show: around 3000
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Between each show, visitors can enjoy a five minute show called “Metamorphoses”. This was also
created by Gianfranco Iannuzzi, Massimiliano Siccardi and Renato Gatto, and takes us on a journey
into elements and matter. This screening transports you inside the Carrières, to the heart of the
mineral world; the sequences all link together to explain different elements: earthquake, volcanic
eruption, lava flow, ash, clouds, thunderstorms, lightning, heavy rain, sea, waterfalls, tropical forest,
flowering plants, right through to stars and outer space.
The audience is taken from the infinitely small to the infinitely large, demonstrating the
unbelievable technical capabilities of the new equipment.
The significant place given to colour echoes the “Gauguin and Van Gogh, the colour painters” show.
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The ‘Val d’Enfer’ is a mysterious place just a stone's throw from Les Baux de Provence, in the heart of
the Alpilles. This valley with outstanding solid mineral deposits has long inspired artists. It provides
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 has been awarded Natural Monument status in France.
Stone working
The Carrières du Val d’Enfer quarry was created over the years for extracting the white limestone
used in the construction of the Chateau and Les Baux. Large-scale stone production in the Saint-
Rémy area forced quarry-workers to change mining techniques using hoists and pits leading to the
surface. This, and the need for stone in the construction of the medieval Château and Les Baux, is
why quarries were opened in this part of the Alpilles.
In 1935, economic competition from modern materials led to the closure of the quarries.
The transformation of the Carrières
The Carrières were given a new life thanks to the visionary genius of Jean Cocteau in the 1960s. He
was enchanted by the beauty of the place and its surroundings, and decided to film “The Testament
of Orpheus” here in 1959.
This transformation was continued in 1977 with the creation of a new project inspired by the
research of Joseph Svoboda1, one of the great scenographers of the second half of the twentieth
century, and destinated to enhance this area: the huge rock walls are perfect backdrops for a new
kind of sound and light show which fully involves the audience.
For over 30 years, the Carrières du Val d’Enfer has hosted these audio visual shows.
In 2011, the town of Les Baux-de-Provence asked Culturespaces to take over management of its
famous Carrières under a public service concession agreement. It will be opened to the public on 30
March 2012.
1 Joseph Svoboda had been working on a scenography idea using projected images as early as 1942. The ideas he was
developing were well ahead of the technologies available in his time. In 1967, he produced installations for the
Czechoslovakian pavilion at the Montreal exhibition including synchronised images from 11 cinema projectors and 28 slide
projectors which were projected onto a large number of surfaces.
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The different areas of the Carrières
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The Picasso entrance This huge area has a stage against the mountain which was used as a set for Jean Cocteau’s final film,
“The Testament of Orpheus”. The stage is about ten metres wide and twenty metres high, and is now
used for theatre or show performances.
The Dante room
The room is the main area where the show is projected. Right of the entrance, a huge gallery goes
60 metres under the mountain and leads into a gigantic hall, divided by huge columns left by the
quarry-workers to hold up the “roof”. These natural pillars are between 5 and 10 metres wide at the
base, and 7 to 9 metres tall. They are used, as are the walls and the ceiling, as natural projection
screens. The surfaces are not perfectly flat or regular, which brings out the relief effect. The audience
can move around and discover new angles of vision and perspectives. It is bathed in a world where
images light up the ceiling, crawl along the ground and explode on the ridges.
The Cocteau room
The 300 m² room only has a partial roof and has large openings all along it. It is used as a reception
venue at the Carrières.
The Van Gogh room This 220 m² room with its two large bay openings will host the tea room. Visitors will be able to stop
here for refreshments.
This area will also be available for evening private hire.
The projection room
Extracts from Jean Cocteau’s film “The Testament of Orpheus” and interviews with the director
and with Jean Marais, the star of the film, will be screened in this 90 m² area.
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Between each show, the Carrières will be progressively lit up so that visitors can discover the
intrinsic characteristics of the place and to reveal its mineral beauty. The goal is to show the lines
left by the quarry-workers cutting stone and to help the audience understand how they extracted
huge cubes of rock.
This quiet moment before the show will allow visitors to see the quarry in its natural state.
The ridges on each of the three central pillars will be brought out using a cool white light from
above. The walls of the room and corridors will be lit with more diffuse, warmer lighting. Finally, the
parts of the quarry that are not accessible to visitors will be lit in order to give the impression that it
stretches on into infinity.
Neutral colours have been chosen in order to preserve the natural mineral atmosphere of the site.
The progressive lighting uses the DMX system, generally used for controlling dynamic event lighting
or stage performances. And the same automated system used for the show controls the lighting.
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“Our aim is to help public institutions to present their heritage and
develop their reputation in cultural circles and among tourists.
We also aim to make access to culture more democratic and help our children
discover our history and our civilisation in remarkable cultural sites,”
explains Bruno Monnier, CEO.
Culturespaces produces and manages, with an ethical and professional approach, monuments,
museums and prestigious historic sites entrusted to it by public bodies and local authorities like the
Jacquemart-André Museum in Paris, the Ephrussi de Rothschild and Kérylos Villas on the Côte d’Azur,
the Cité de l’Automobile and the Cité du Train in Mulhouse or the Waterloo Battlefield.
In the South of France, Culturespaces provides the complete management and the cultural events of
the Château des Baux de Provence, the Roman Theatre of Orange and the Amphitheatre of Nîmes, the
Maison Carrée and the Tour Magne.
Culturespaces uses modern management methods in its work upgrading spaces and collections,
welcoming the general public, managing staff and all services, organising cultural activities and
temporary exhibitions and promoting sites at a national and international level.
To ensure that visits are always a pleasure, the Culturespaces teams place quality of reception and
cultural enrichment at the heart of all their services to visitors.
With 20 years of experience and 2 million visitors every year, Culturespaces is the leading private
organisation managing French monuments and museums, and one of the leading European players
in cultural tourism.
Our heritage must be preserved for future generations: that is why every year Culturespaces
contributes to financing restoration programmes for the monuments and collections it has been
entrusted to look after.
The Culturespaces Foundation, created under the aegis of the Fondation du Patrimoine, has set itself
the task of supporting initiatives that give children access to culture.
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OPENING TIMES AND RATES
Les Carrières is open every day. The “Gauguin and Van
Gogh, the colour painters” show will run from 30 March
2012 to 6 January 2013.
April to September: 10 a.m-7 p.m / October to March: 10
a.m-6 p.m.
All day:
- The “Gauguin and Van Gogh, the colour painters” show:
35 minutes
- The “Metamorphoses” show: 5 minutes
- The lighting up of the quarry: 5 minutes
The book and gift shop is open during the Carrières’
opening hours.
RATES
Individuals
Full rate: € 8,5 / Reduced rate: € 6,5 (children aged 7-17,
students, teachers and unemployed)
Free for children under the age of 7.
Offers for families
Free entry for the second child aged 7 to 17 when two
adults and one child entries have been bought.
Groups and schools (min 20 people)
Groups: € 6,5
Schools: € 4,5 / Educational workshops: € 14
GETTING TO THE CARRIÈRE DE LUMIÈRES
Carrières de Lumières
Route de Maillane 13520 Les Baux de Provence
Tel.: +33 4 90 54 55 56
www.carrieres-lumieres.com / www.gauguin-vangogh.com
By road: motorway A7 (exit Avignon), A9 (Nîmes) and A54 (Baux-de-Provence).
By train: Aix-en-Provence and Avignon TGV stations.
By plane: Marseille and Avignon airports.
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Entrance of the Carrières de Lumières © Culturespaces
Production of the show « Gauguin,
Van Gogh, painters of colour »
© G. Iannuzzi – M. Siccardi
Production of the show « Gauguin,
Van Gogh, painters of colour »
© G. Iannuzzi – M. Siccardi
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Production of the show « Gauguin,
Van Gogh, painters of colour »
© G. Iannuzzi – M. Siccardi
Production of the show « Gauguin,
Van Gogh, painters of colour »
© G. Iannuzzi – M. Siccardi
Production of the show « Gauguin,
Van Gogh, painters of colour »
© G. Iannuzzi – M. Siccardi
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Paul Gauguin
Vairumati
1887, oil on canvas, 73,5 x 92,5 cm
Musée d’Orsay, Paris
© 2011. Gaspart/Scala, Florence
Paul Gauguin
Landscape with two Breton women
1889, oil on canvas
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
© 2011. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
All rights reserved /Scala, Florenc
Paul Gauguin
Rupe rupe
1899, oil on canvas
Musée Pouchkine, Moscou
© 2011. Photo Scala, Florence
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Paul Gauguin Paul Gauguin
Matamoe Two Tahitian Women
1892, oil on canvas, 115 x 86 cm 1899, oil on canvas, 94 x 72,4 cm
Musée Pouchkine, Moscou Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
© 2011. Photo Scala, Florence © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Dist. RMN
Paul Gauguin
Where do we come from?
What are we? Where are
going?
1897, oil on canvas
139 x 374 cm
Museum of Fine Art, Boston
© 2011. Museum of Fine
Arts, Boston. All rights
reserved/Scala, Florence
Vincent Van Gogh
Wheat field with crows
1890, oil on canvas
50,5 x 103 cm
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
© D.R.
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Vincent Van Gogh
Bedroom in Arles
1888, oil on canvas, 72 x 90 cm
Musée Van Gogh – Fondation
Vincent Van Gogh, Amsterdam
© 2011. Photo Scala, Florence
Vincent Van Gogh
The Starry Night
1889, oil on canvas, 73,7 x 92,1 cm
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
© 2011. Digital image, The
Museum of Modern Art, New
York
Production of the show
« Metamorphoses »
© G. Iannuzzi – M. Siccardi
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Production of the show
« Metamorphoses »
© G. Iannuzzi – M. Siccardi
Production of the show
« Metamorphoses »
© G. Iannuzzi – M. Siccardi
Production of the show
« Metamorphoses »
© G. Iannuzzi – M. Siccardi
