URW Introduces Digital Art Center in Hamburg

In addition to the Atelier des Lumières in Paris and other immersive digital art centers in Jeju Island, Bordeaux, Baux-de-Provence, and Dubai, Culturespaces is currently planning additional locations in Amsterdam, Seoul, and New York. Due to the high entertainment and experience factor, the offer is not only aimed at art enthusiasts, but also at broader target groups from all ages.   

In short programs and long-term exhibitions, the masterpieces of one artist at a time are transferred into a three-dimensional digital space – for example works from Cézanne, van Gogh, Klimt, or Kandinsky. Immersion is a key phenomenon in modern art, which expands the conventional boundaries to immerse visitors in audiovisual emotions.

With Port des Lumières in Hamburg, art is brought to life through 60 speakers and more than 100 projectors transmitting 3,000 moving images per second on a 3,120 sq m projectable surface. Port des Lumières is based on the reputation of the Port of Hamburg as the gateway to the world and translates as “Port of Light”.

Bruno Monnier, President-Founder of Culturespaces, said: “Original masterpieces by great artists are eternal – but always spread across the globe in different museums or with collectors. Only temporary exhibitions bring together some of these works, and only for a few months, and no matter the country in question, it is extremely rare for more than a third of the population to access to these exhibits. Digital technology has given us the means to group these masterpieces together, to share them with a much wider audience of all generations for longer periods of time, to be discovered or rediscovered.”

Andreas Hohlmann, Managing Director Austria & Germany at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, said: “With Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier, we want to create a vibrant place where people live, work, but especially enjoy spending their leisure time. That’s why our goal is to partner with exceptional concepts for leisure and entertainment – including art and culture. Port des Lumières creates an extraordinary and unique experience for the local community, but also for all culture lovers on a national and international scale. At the same time, the innovative, visual approach of Culturespaces is able to convey and awaken cultural education and enthusiasm among a broader audience.”

At the center in Hamburg’s HafenCity district, a total of 14 buildings are under construction. Retail, entertainment concepts, and more than 40 dining units are closely coordinated with offices for around 4,000 workplaces, three hotels, a cruise ship terminal, and a total of 600 apartments. The mixed-used project comprises a total area of 419,000 sq m and will be executed by URW with a total investment of more than €1 billion.