Carrières de Lumières 2020 - Dali and Gaudi

 

On our Provence Roman Heritage tour, one of the most talked-about visits is the old bauxite quarry at the hilltop village of Les Baux. Now known as the Carrières de Lumières, it is host to a stunning sound and light display which changes its theme each year, picking a different artist and their works. Previous displays have involved Gaugin, Van Gogh and Bosch amongst many others - 2020's exhibition promises to be one of the most spectacular, with Salvador Dali's surreal landscapes adorning the massive blocks of hewn stone in the underground quarry. For an idea of the visit, the video below (of 2014's Picasso event) gives a flavour, though in truth the scale of the spectacle needs to bee seen first hand to be appreciated!

 

The idea of Dali's melting watches from "Persistence of Memory" sliding down giant slabs of limestone is quite intriguing! In addition to the Dali exhibit, their will also be a display celebrating the work of the architect Antoni Gaudi, most famous for the Sagrada Familia cathedral on Barcelona. Gaudi helped change the face of modern architecture, and the exhibition will bring his imagination vividly to life.