« Immersive artwork. » Used widely in the vast ecosystem of exhibitions, this expression causes irritation, both for cultural journalists and spectators, who expect to invest their bodies and mobilize their senses, only to remain stuck in observation. A caricature that Mathieu Debay, the curator of the exhibition Into The Light and « light enthusiast », as he humbly describes himself, wanted to transcend.
Yes, he confirms, this new monumental exhibition, in « world premiere » at La Villette, is definitely immersive, but it is above all a « smart project » on a « complex subject », accompanied by podcasts of experts (Étienne Klein, Thomas Jolly, Kumi.
Ko Kotera…) to illuminate the journey. It's a shared feeling when we step out of the hangar after wandering through about 3,000 m2 of artwork in progress, swinging between many emotions including dazzlement and calm, always accompanied by a necessary questioning in the background.Voir cette publication sur Instagram
A generation of European artists to write light
Claiming the European roots of the exhibition, Mathieu Debay has gathered 15 works, both individual and collective, created by light sculptors (Guillaume Marmin, Children of the Light), studios (Nonotak), artistic directors (Collectif Scale), or visual artists (Olivier Ratsi). Light shapes the world, and they are its interpreters.
The journey, structured in five acts spanning 1 hour and 30 minutes, leads you through rooms and experiences that shift our perceptions. We return to the origins of the world with light as the source of life, the first spectacle of humanity, to explore how humans have adapted this energy to their daily lives.
Using it to enhance the architecture. Then, stepping into a vast performance hall – which once again confirms the high potential of La Villette for such a large-scale project – the light becomes a spectacle in itself, a playground to be reinvented along with the installations, materials, and the music that accompany it.
© Flora Gendrault
Fog, flashes, and neon lights
Confusing, hypnotizing, and even a bit overwhelming: the range of adjectives to describe the journey at Into The Light is vast. Guillaume Marmin pulls off the incredible feat of recreating a sun visible to the naked eye, while Olivier Ratsi blurs our spatial references in a smoky dark room. Created in China in 2019, Nautilus makes its debut in France, a stationary yet dynamic installation by the collective Scale in collaboration with director Zhang Yimou.
As you wander through the rooms, the effects multiply and differ from one another, engaging both sight and sound, inviting you to...to sit, to lie down or to stand tall, to watch flashes or colored neon lights intertwining. At the exit, a bit blinded, we float and ask for more.
© Flora Gendrault
Into the Light
Grande Halle de La Villette
211, avenue Jean-Jaurès – 19e
From April 9 to August 31, 2025
Prices: €19.90 adult, €17.90 reduced
More info and reservations
