Press release

Culturespaces opens an ‘Atelier des Lumières’ at Amsterdam’s Westergasterrein:

Fabrique des Lumières

A new digital art center to open its doors in April 2022

Culturespaces, the European creator and operator of the acclaimed ‘Atelier des Lumières’ in Paris, in collaboration with Westergas, announces the opening of a new digital art center on the Westergasterrain in Amsterdam. The opening of the Fabrique des Lumières – which will showcase light projections by classical and modern artists – is scheduled for April 2022. With the opening, Westergas is building on its vision: to make the Westergasterrain a Culture Village with an open character that is attractive to all ages.

Since its opening in Paris in 2018, Atelier des Lumières has attracted more than three million visitors to digitized artworks by Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Gustav Klimt and Salvador Dalí, among others. In addition to Paris, the organization previously opened digital art centers in Dubai and Bordeaux, among others. The initiators of Culturespaces, Westergas and the City of Amsterdam, intend the arrival of the center to put the Westergasterrain on the map as the cultural breeding ground of Amsterdam. On 1 July the renovation of the space where the center will be located begins.

Klimt exhibition at the Atelier des Lumières, Paris, 2018 © Culturespaces, E. Spiller.

Art for a wide audience

The Fabrique des Lumières uses cutting-edge, unique technology to present immersive exhibitions dedicated to different protagonists of art history. The venue, Zuiveringshal West, has an area of 2,800m² and is intended for the residents of Amsterdam and the surrounding area. The center offers a special addition to the current offering of art and culture in Amsterdam because of its low-threshold form of presentation combined with technology. It aims to stimulate interest in art among a wide audience. The exhibitions, which are accessible to all generations, are designed to do full justice to the architecture of the location, with its seventeen-meter-high walls. In addition to the exhibitions focusing on classical and modern artists, an area will be dedicated to contemporary works. The arrival of the center should give Amsterdammers an extra reason to come to the Westergasterrain and give a boost to the hospitality industry in the area.

Zuiveringshal West, Westergas. Photos: Arjen Veldt.

Bruno Monnier, president of Culturespaces, the organization behind Atelier des Lumières: “After establishing our digital art centers in France, we are excited to create this new center for the city of Amsterdam. The Fabrique des Lumières will offer visitors to the Netherlands an unforgettable, immersive and sensory, artistic experience.”

Duncan Stutterheim, initiator Westergas: “We are very happy with the arrival of Atelier des Lumières in the Pazzanistraat. The vision we have for Westergas as a Culture Village with an open character is taking more and more shape with this.”

About Culturespaces

For the past 30 years Culturespaces has managed museums and art centers. Culturespaces was founded by Bruno Monnier, a prominent private European cultural creator and manager of historic monuments. In 2012, Culturespaces revolutionized the field of art with monumental digital immersive exhibitions that took a new approach to studying art history. Culturespaces created CULTURESPACES DIGITAL®, which includes all artistic and technological know-how and has developed a network of unique talents in the field. With CULTURESPACES DIGITAL®, Culturespaces is the leading cultural operator with teams and extensive expertise that combines the design and creation of digital art centers with technological mastery to shape exhibitions. These include the production and cataloging of immersive digital exhibitions featuring classical, modern and contemporary artists alike.

Culturespaces currently manages the largest digital art centers in the world and continues its development and mission of cultural dissemination on an international scale.

CULTURESPACES DIGITAL® digital art centers:

– The Atelier des Lumières, Paris
– The Bassins de Lumières, Bordeaux
– The Carrières de Lumières, Baux-de-Provence
– The Hall des Lumières, New York
– The Fabrique des Lumières, Amsterdam
– The Infinity des Lumières, Dubai
– The Theatre of Light, Séoul
– The Bunker de Lumières, Jeju

About Westergas

Westergas is a cultural village where historical value and innovative ideas come together. A unique monumental location in the Westerpark for visitors, with a quirky but at the same time typical Amsterdam character.