A travelling exhibition
After Singapore (2018), Shanghai (2021), and Hong Kong (2023), the Palace of Versailles is heading to Macau for Asia’s fourth edition of Virtually Versailles.
From 30 July to 15 October 2023 on, members of the public will be invited to step into the immersive Palace of Versailles exhibition at the Grand Lisboa Palace Resort during the Art Macau: Macau International Art Biennale.
A brand-new itinerary
The Virtually Versailles exhibition is mapped out like a maiden voyage to the Palace, giving as many as possible the opportunity to delve into its history and collections. Each edition is nevertheless unique, offering up fresh content and a layout and design specifically tailored to its location. In Macao, the itinerary is structured into eight themed rooms, whisking visitors away on an interactive, olfactory, sound-enhanced journey into the world of Versailles. For the very first time, audiences will be able to watch a stage performance of Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s The Village Soothsayer in an awe-inspiring replica of Queen Marie-Antoinette’s theatre. They will also have the opportunity to stroll through some of the Palace’s iconic spaces thanks to 360-degree digital projections, wander around Versailles’ gardens and grounds on connected bikes, and tap into virtual reality to touch and engage with masterpieces from its collections. Finally, an unprecedented new room will showcase how Versailles served as a source of inspiration for designer Karl Lagerfeld through projected photographs and excerpts from the Un Roi Seul film by Thierry Demaizière and Alban Teurlai.
In 2024, the Palace of Versailles will be back on the road again, taking Virtually Versailles to new corners of the globe.
virtually versailles layout’s in macau
Introduction
Visitors are plunged into the beating heart of Versailles from the moment they step into the exhibition, passing through the Palace’s virtual metal gates as they are greeted by the voice of Louis XIV himself. Commissioned by the BETC agency for CANAL+’s Versailles series and recreated by Voxygen scientists and Palace of Versailles historians, the Sun King’s voice rings out for the first time, 300 years after his death. A unique fragrance is released into the air to deepen the immersive experience: the orange blossom-infused Royal Delight, inspired by Louis XIV’s favourite flower and created by master perfumer Francis Kurkdjian exclusively for the Palace of Versailles.
Travel back in time
3D reconstructions unfold, illustrating how the Palace of Versailles was built, from Louis XIII’s 17th-century hunting lodge to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, bringing to life the sheer complexity of the site and its spaces in a matter of minutes.
Nature at Versailles
This leg of the experience takes a closer look at Versailles’ sweeping grounds, home to one of the largest outdoor sculpture museums. Hopping astride a connected bike and using the screens, visitors can embark on a one-of-a-kind interactive tour of the grounds’ legendary spaces, from the sweeping perspective at the Queen’s Hamlet to the Grand Trianon’s French gardens.
Style and innovation
Packed full of over 60,000 paintings, sculptures and works of art, the Palace of Versailles is home to one of France’s most extensive collections, and has reigned supreme as a shining embodiment of French art since the 17th century. In this section, an interactive gallery lets visitors interact with the museum’s masterpieces, with puzzles and a photobooth offering up a fun, iconographical snapshot of the figureheads who shaped the history of France from the 17th to 19th century. At the centre of the room is a pavilion dedicated to the “Versailles VR: The Palace Is Yours” virtual reality space, developed in partnership with Google Arts and Culture. Headsets in place, members of the public are left to stroll around the State Apartments and Hall of Mirrors, soaking up new and exclusive cultural content while manipulating paintings, sculptures and furniture to view them all in a whole new light.
The splendours of Versailles
This section takes a closer look at Versailles’ most symbolic spaces, offering up a spectacular, fully immersive 360-degree overview via LED screens. Visitors are given free rein to wander through the Hall of Mirrors, the Royal Opera, the Gallery of Great Battles, and the Mercury and Venus Rooms as if they were there.
Quiet intimacy
In this section, visitors slip into one of the most private spaces in the Versailles estate: Queen Marie-Antoinette’s theatre. The mysterious forest décor has been perfectly replicated, with a stage performance of Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s The Village Soothsayer screened for an experience that plunges visitors into a larger-than-life experience.
Karl Lagerfeld and Versailles
Now for the very first time, Virtually Versailles pulls back the curtain to shine a light on how Versailles inspired a contemporary designer: Karl Lagerfeld. Visitors are free to contemplate the photographs of Versailles taken by Karl Lagerfeld in 2008 for the Versailles à l’Ombre du Soleil exhibition, as well as extracts from the Un Roi Seul documentary shot by Thierry Demaizière and Alban Teurlai at the Palace of Versailles.
A day at Versailles
The final space serves up a 360-degree screening that captures the magic of a single day at the estate. Perspectives and intimate interiors, performances, fountains, and fireworks are brought to life in ultra-high definition for this final panoramic screening.
Beyond the exhibition
- Designed to sit alongside tours of the Virtually Versailles exhibition in Macau, the mobile app gives visitors access to exclusive content, such as an audio guide, games, and a playlist.
- The “Rabbids Invasion @ Versailles” mobile game developed in partnership with Ubisoft has been specifically adapted to Virtually Versailles in Macau. Aimed at children and families, the game uses 360-degree views to plunge players deep into the heart of Versailles’ grounds.
VirtuallyVersailles MACAU
Rabbids @ Virtually Versailles.
These apps are free to download from the App Store and Google Play. For more information: visit chateauversailles.fr
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