Premiere in Germany: Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and Culturespaces sign a new partnership to open an immersive digital art center ‘Port des Lumières’ at Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) brings Culturespaces on board as the key partner for the mixed-use quarter’s art, culture and edutainment segment. With Port des Lumières, Culturespaces will open a branch of its world-famous digital art center in Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier. The Hamburg location will cover an area of around 3,100 square meters.

In addition to the famous Atelier des Lumières in Paris and other immersive digital art centers in Jeju Island, Bordeaux, Baux-de-Provence and Dubai, Culturespaces is currently planning additional locations in Amsterdam, Seoul and New York. Due to the high entertainment and experience factor, the offer is not only aimed at art enthusiasts, but also at broader target groups of all ages. In addition, there are also separate bookings for school trips, private and company events, and various cultural gatherings.

In short programs and long-term exhibitions, the masterpieces of one artist at a time are transferred into three-dimensional digital space – for example works from Cézanne, van Gogh, Klimt or Kandinsky. Culturespaces, the pioneer from France, is the first private operator of monuments, museums as well as art centers to specialize in digital exhibitions with immersive artworks. Immersion is a key phenomenon in modern art that expands the conventional boundaries of the analog to include a digital, virtual component and immerses visitors in audiovisual emotions.

When breathtaking art meets the limitless possibilities of visual technology and fine-tuned background music, a magical connection is created. This unique symbiosis is staged by Culturespaces in a completely new, individual way. On their tour through the exhibitions, visitors are completely immersed in the works and emotions of the artists and their senses are elevated to a new audiovisual level of perception. This is made possible by the exhibits and interactive areas projected onto the floor and onto walls more than ten meters high. The world-famous art experience from Paris fascinates not only visitors on site, but also viewers of the Netflix series “Emily in Paris,” in which the main character Emily (Lily Collins) experiences the extraordinary art worlds. As part of long-term exhibitions or temporary short programs, visitors experience Paul Cézanne’s inner conflict or Vincent van Gogh’s post-impressionist masterpieces, see Gustav Klimt’s Kiss in large format or immerse themselves in the abstract world of Wassily Kandinsky.

Previously based in art cities such as Paris, New York, Amsterdam and Bordeaux, this cultural highlight of the digital revolution is now coming to Hamburg with Port des Lumières. Art is brought to life through an impressive setup of 60 speakers and more than 100 projectors transmitting 3,000 moving images per second on a 3,120 square metres projectable surface, operating thanks to a tailor-made software suite, creating a total immersive experience for the visitors. The concept of Culturespaces is always a homage to the respective location. Port des Lumières is based on the reputation of the Port of Hamburg as the gateway to the world and translates as “Port of Light”. Port des Lumières is thus not only an important addition to the leisure venues of the mixed-use district, but also to the city’s overall arts and cultural profile.

Bruno Monnier, President-Founder of Culturespaces, said: “Original masterpieces by great artists are eternal – but always spread across the globe in different museums or with collectors. Only temporary exhibitions bring together some of these works, and only for a few months, and no matter the country in question, it is extremely rare for more than a third of the population to be able to access these exhibits. Digital technology has given us the means to group these masterpieces together, to share them with a much wider audience of all generations for longer periods of time, to be discovered or rediscovered. Culturespaces has decided to expand on this new path with digital technology, in France and internationally, while maintaining its standards of excellence. Port des Lumières in Hamburg will be a cultural site open to the general public, fully immersing visitors in the works of the greatest names in art history. We are extremely excited about this collaboration with Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield.”

Andreas Hohlmann, Managing Director Austria & Germany at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, said: “With Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier, we want to create a vibrant place where people live, work, but especially enjoy spending their leisure time. That’s why our goal is to partner with exceptional concepts for leisure and entertainment – including art and culture. Port des Lumières creates an extraordinary and unique experience for the local community, but also for all culture lovers on a national and international scale. At the same time, the innovative, visual approach of Culturespaces is able to convey and awaken cultural education and enthusiasm among a broader audience. With Port des Lumières, Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier further sharpens the profile as an experience-oriented flagship destination, and Hamburg in turn gains a new highlight with international appeal as a city of art and culture. We are very pleased about the partnership with Culturespaces and the premiere in Germany with Port des Lumières.”

Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier: Modern urbanity for Hamburg
In Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier in Hamburg’s HafenCity district, a total of 14 buildings are under construction for a new vibrant destination with outstanding architecture and a unique mix of uses. Retail, entertainment concepts and more than 40 dining units are closely coordinated with offices for around 4,000 workplaces, three hotels, a cruise ship terminal and a total of 600 apartments. The quarter is optimally integrated into the local infrastructure with its own metro station, bus lines and various mobility services. The mixed-used project comprises a total area of 419,000 square metres and will be executed by Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield with a total investment of more than one billion euros.

Image: L’Atelier des Lumières in Paris

Culturespaces + Sophie Lloyd

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