marc chagall smallThe popular son et lumière show at the Cathedral of Images near Les Baux de Provence is now known under a new name, the Quarries of Lights (Les Carrières des Lumières).

booking.com logoClick here to book a hotel in Les Baux de Provence

 

The concept remains the same, however. This extraordinary site was once a bauxite quarry in the bowels of the awe-inspiring landscapes of the Val d'Enfer (Valley of Hell) that inspired such great artists as Dante, Gounod and Cocteau.

Today the quarry is the backdrop to a breathtaking show that projects multiple images - around 2000 of them during the 30 minute performance - on its ceiling, floor and huge rock walls, some of them as high as those of Notre Dame de Paris.

New projection facilities - 100 projectors and 74 speakers - have been installed to create a SenseSurround experience. Each spectacle is inspired by a painter or art movement and accompanied by a specially chosen music track.

These themes change every year. Our gallery above features images from the 2020 show Dalí, the Endless Enigma (no.2); the 2019 show Starry Night (no.3); the 2017 show The Fantastic and Marvellous World of Bosch, Brueghel and Archimboldo (no.4); the 2016 show, Chagall, Dreams of a Summer Night (no.5); the 2015 show, Giants of the Renaissance (no.6); the 2014 show, Klimt and Vienna - A Century of Gold and Colours (nos.7 and 8); and the 2013 show, Monet, Renoir, Chagall... Journeys around the Mediterranean (no.9).

A visit here is an impressive and memorable experience. Click here to read our exclusive interview with Gianfranco Iannuzzi who, with his team, creates these spectacles.

Fun fact about the Quarries of Lights near Les Baux de ProvenceThe quarries at Les Baux de Provence appear in a brief dream sequence in a short film promoting Thom (Radiohead) Yorke’s new solo album, Anima. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the wunderkind of American indie cinema, the 15 minute film is available to stream on Netflix.

Today it has become a well-worn cliché to describe a show as an immersive experience. But the Quarries really do offer one - and the idea was developed there decades ago.

The aim is not to reproduce a faint imitation of a museum or gallery but to plunge visitors into a multi-media show where they walk around amongst, and virtually within, the artworks.

It's especially effective when the art in question is otherwise difficult to see - such as the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, which figured in the 2015 show, Giants of the Renaissance.

The Quarries are run by a private foundation called Culturespaces, which also oversees a small but select portfolio of museums and monuments: in the South of France, these include the Caumont Centre d'Art in Aix en Provence and the Château in Les Baux.

NewsTmondrian2023he 2023-2024 spectacle at the Quarries of Lights is called De Vermeer à Van Gogh, les maîtres hollandaise (From Vermeer to Van Gogh, the Dutch Masters) and runs until 14 April 2024.

It aims to explore an authentic style of painting that approaches the ordinary in an extraordinary way, with a special focus on these paintings' purity of light.

The programme takes in Vermeer’s contemplative domestic scenes, Rembrandt’s penetrating portraits and the luminous work of Van Gogh in the South of France.

starry_night_over_the_rhone.jpgPictured: Van Gogh's La Nuit étoilée sur le Rhône (Starry Night over the Rhône), painted in Arles.

Also in the show: lesser-known artists such as Abraham Bloemaert, Hendrick Avercamp, Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom and Jan Steen.

The supporting short film celebrates another, more contemporary Dutch master, Piet Mondrian, famed for his primary-coloured rectangles, pictured above.

Another show at the Quarries is Tintin, the Immersive Adventure, starring the popular comic book hero.

Tintin plays "in repertory" with the Dutch Masters, so it might be a good idea to double check with the box-office before booking to make sure that you are getting the show you want!

Later this spring, the Quarries will be given over to the glories of ancient Egypt with The Egypt of the Pharaohs. The accompanying short film explores oriental influences in Western art. From 19 April 2024.

The same show can be seen at the Quarries' sister installation in Paris, the Atelier des Lumières.

Click here to read about the 2022-2023 show exploring the city of Venice, La Serenissima; the 2021-2022 show about Paul Cézanne; the 2020-2021 show devoted to the Spanish surrealist Salvador Dali and the 2019-2020 show exploring Vincent van Gogh in Provence.

Click here to read about the 2018-2019 show celebrating Pablo Picasso; the 2017-2018 show, on the theme of the "fantastic and marvellous" in 16th century art; the 2016-2017 show, which was devoted to the Franco-Russian artist Marc Chagall; and here to read about the 2015-2016 show, about Giants of the Renaissance.

Insider tip for the Quarries of LightsOn selected evenings, the Quarries stage special programmes at which you can catch up with several recent spectacles from the past few years all in one go! Refreshments are available to keep you going and advance booking is advised as they tend to sell out quickly.

Note that the Quarries are sometimes used for other events on certain evenings, such as avant-garde film screenings or concerts during the Piano Festival of La Roque d'Anthéron.

Finally, if you're fascinated by the Quarries concept but aren't coming to Provence, a "digital museum" in Paris called L'Atelier des Lumières replicates the concept in the City of Lights itself.

Located in a renovated 19th century foundry in the rue Saint Maur in Paris' eleventh arrondissement, the venue is also operated by Culturespaces and, like the Quarries, features a new show each year inspired by major names in art.

In fact Culturespaces' digital gallery franchise has been fast expanding internationally, with Lumières installations in place or opening soon in Bordeaux, Amsterdam, New York, Dubai, South Korea’s Jeju island and more to come.

 

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Where: Carrières des Lumières / Quarries of Lights, route de Maillane, 13520 Les Baux de Provence. Tel: (+33) 4 90 54 55 56. Les Baux is 15 km / 9 miles north-east of Arles and 30 km / 18 miles south of Avignon.

The entrance to the Quarries is on the road at the foot of the village, 800 metres / half a mile from the Château des Baux. There is a very small car-park, but be prepared to leave your car some way along the road. You will need to allow plenty of time to find a parking spot.

The site is fully wheelchair-accessible and the Quarries now have a café serving simple lunches. Website for the Quarries of Lights

If you are planning to rent a car, please consider our comparison search engine for all grades of hire car from Smarts to 4x4s and limousines.

Powered by our affiliate partner, it will instantly compare the current rates on offer from all the major suppliers at your chosen location to ensure you get the best deal.

Each show consists of two films, a short and a "main feature". These last around 40 minutes in total and run on a continuous loop: there is a loose narrative, but you can enter and exit the show at any point, or stay to watch it several times over.

There is a reduced price combination ticket for the Quarries of Lights, the Musée Brayer in Les Baux and the Château des Baux.

You can either book timed-entry tickets ahead online or buy them on the spot. Both approaches have drawbacks. Tickets booked in advance are non-refundable. On the other hand, if you simply turn up on the day, you may risk having to wait if the Quarries are full.

Insider tip for the Quarries of LightsBring a sweater! Even on a hot summer day, the temperature inside the Quarries is just 14 degrees Celsius / 57 degrees Fahrenheit.

Slideshow images © G. Iannuzzi and M. Siccardi, except for images 1 and 10 of the Quarries themselves (© Culturespaces).

RELATED ARTICLES

Main Menu