LONG PROGRAMME: "Egyptian Pharaohs. From Cheops to Ramesses II"
Production: Culturespaces Studio ®
Artistic Direction: Virginie Martin
Design and production: Cutback
Music supervision and mixing: Start-Rec

Carrières des Lumières’ new digital exhibition invites visitors to step back in time and rediscover Egypt at the time of the Pharaohs, through masterpieces of Antiquity. This legendary civilisation, spanning three millennia, fascinates and captivates young and old alike.

As a prologue to the exhibition, grains of sand lifted by the wind reveal the remains of ancient Egypt as they appeared to French scientists during the Egyptian Campaign of 1798 to 1801, and drawn by the painter David Roberts, who wrote in his notebook “We are a people of dwarfs visiting a nation of giants”. Originally, ancient Egypt had its own cosmogony, providing a rich account of the genesis of the world. The sacred forces of the gods clash and reveal themselves on the walls of Atelier des Lumières, taking us to the point when man first appeared on earth.

The journey then continues along the sacred river Nile, source of life. The rhythm of floods and seasons provides the fertile silt needed for a luxuriant flora and fauna to thrive. Daily life in ancient Egypt is brought to life through magnificent bas-reliefs, paintings and ancient papyri.

Gigantic construction sites and feats of ancient architecture, the pyramids take shape before the eyes of visitors: one by one, the colossal blocks pile up to form the tombs of the eternal kings, guarded by the majestic Sphinx.

Ancient Egypt’s impressive longevity is closely linked to the pharaohs, who ruled the unified kingdom of Upper and Lower Egypt. Monumental sculptures of sovereigns whose names resonate throughout history now tower over the space: Khephren, Hatshepsut, Thutmosis III, Akhenaten and Nefertiti... Legendary battles punctuated the reigns of successive sovereigns, such as Ramses II at Qadesh. The arms of the Nile then irrigate the space with molten gold, the flesh of the gods, which flows along the walls, forging the incredible jewels of the Egyptian kings and queens.

Throughout Egypt, there are hundreds of temples dedicated to a multitude of divinities. From Luxor to Abu Simbel, these majestic, complex structures are cultural, spiritual, economical and political centres, where life and death are celebrated in great processions. Next comes the Valley of the Kings, home to the famous tomb of Tutankhamun. The Valley of the Queens also contains pure marvels, such as the tomb of Nefertari, all displayed in dazzling colour on the walls of Carrières des Lumières.

The cycle of life comes to an end, and the exhibition invites visitors to enter the afterlife by taking a closer look at the astronomical ceiling of Dendera, which normally rises 15 metres above the ground but is here displayed close enough to see clearly. The journey is over, having revealed only a tiny portion of this most fascinating ancient Egypt, where there are still so many mysteries to explore.

SHORT PROGRAMME: "The Orientalists. Ingres, Delacroix, Gérôme..."
Production: Culturespaces Studio ®
Artistic Direction: Virginie Martin
Staging and video animation: Cutback
Music supervision and mixing: Start-Rec

In the 19th century, the doors of the Orient opened to Western painters attracted by the mysteries of far off lands. Dazzled by the light of the far south, which reveals the topography of these arid landscapes and highlights the colours of the buildings’ spectacular motifs, Orientalists like Delacroix, Gérôme and Ingres, and other major names from European expressionism, now invite visitors to embark on a pictorial expedition to the new, exotic and bewitching world of the Orient of our dreams. Delacroix’s travel diaries begin the tale, immersing visitors in an itinerary steeped in the play of light and shade, the scent of spice, the rhythm of oriental instruments and quick sketches of hitherto unseen lives. Then come other great names, such as Constant, Frère, Vernet, Gérôme, Guillaumet, Belly, Richter and Dinet, amongst others, creating what they hope will be a marvellous, luxurious backdrop for an inspiring elsewhere. They meander through the narrow streets of Oriental cities and souks, to slip inside shady interiors, to join the dance of the Oriental soul, and to stroll through the patios of sumptuous palaces.

Visitors accompany the artists on their peregrinations and experience the gruelling journey across a merciless desert, relieved only by the occasional pause at an oasis. They also come across wild animals, the hunting of such creatures being a subject of choice for the Orientalists. And to finish, oriel windows, known as mashrabiya, offer a glimpse into the mysterious world of the harem. This sensual world, so often an object of fantasy, remained inaccessible to Orientalist painters, so their portrayals of it are drawn entirely from their imagination. The steam of the hammam reveals bathers with impossible curves, and finally the curtain rises on Ingres’ Grande Odalisque, a dreamlike, idealised, Orientalist masterpiece. The dream comes to an end, and the visitor awakes from the fleeting mirage of an Orient as dreamt by the Orientalists, in the heart of the 19th-century Paris salon.