News

A first look at The vibrant ‘Chagall, Paris-New York’ immersive exhibit at NYC’s Hall des Lumières

Stained glass refractions, depictions of mythical creatures and floral motifs take over the entire room.

Rossilynne Skena Culgan
Things to Do Editor
People gather for the Chagall show.
Photograph: Courtesy of Hall des Lumières
Advertising

Update: January 23, 2024: This story has been updated to include a new exhibit closure date of Saturday, January 27, 2024.

Painter Marc Chagall's lusciously vibrant works of art come to life in a new immersive experience at Hall des Lumières. Titled "Chagall, Paris-New York," the exhibition explores the prolific painter who defied labels. 

His works are projected in a larger-than-life scale, taking over walls, ceilings and even the floor of the ornate bank-turned-exhibition hall located at 49 Chambers Street in Lower Manhattan. “Chagall, Paris-New York” is now on view through January 27, 2024 with adult tickets starting at $30. In addition to the Chagall works, Hall des Lumières is also displaying works by Wassily Kandinsky. 

RECOMMENDED: Incredible immersive experiences to do in NYC right now

For Marc Chagall (1887-1985), Paris and New York represented two crucial stages in his extensive career. The digital experience at Hall des Lumières showcases his entire oeuvre, exploring the artistic and cultural moments of the late 20th century. The Russian-born painter picked Paris as his chosen city, with its avant-garde movements of the 1910s inspiring his experimental works. Later during the 1940s, New York became an escape imbuing the artist with a creative burst until he returned to Paris in 1948. 

Chagall paintings projected onto the walls.
Photograph: Courtesy of Hall des Lumières

In addition to his painting, Chagall also embraced theater, costumes, sculpture, ceramics, stained glass, mosaics and collage as part of his multidisciplinary palette. The immersive exhibition highlights all of these art forms, with the stained glass work as an especially dazzling display. His fantastic mythical creatures, circus characters and fable stories dance across the resplendent walls.

Classical music, klezmer and jazz, which were inspirations for the artist, play as the soundtrack during the exhibition. 

Artwork in Hall des Lumieres that looks like stained glass.
Photograph: Courtesy of Hall des Lumières

When Hall des Lumières first opened last fall, it transformed the former Emigrant Industrial Savings Bank into a permanent home for immersive experiences. It began with a stunning exhibition about Gustav Klimt designed by the artistic team Gianfranco Iannuzzi. That same skilled design team is behind the Chagall exhibit. In the past year, the immersive exhibition space has hosted a space exhibit at a tribute to hip-hop, but artwork truly shines here.

To accompany "Chagall, Paris-New York," Hall des Lumières is also presenting "Kandinsky, The Odyssey of Abstraction" as well as "Infinite Horizons," an artistic journey through landscape co-created by HKI-Hellohikimori." 

Popular on Time Out

    You may also like
    You may also like
    Advertising