The Heritage & Tourism morning, organized by the Department of Val d’Oise, with the agency {CORRESPONDANCES DIGITALES]took place on Thursday October 20, 2022 at the Abbaye de Maubuisson. At this event, thanks to a wealth of feedback, over sixty tourism and heritage players were able to discuss the new visitor experiences offered by cultural venues. Following a first part dedicated to the role played by heritage sites in regional attractiveness(see our first article), 4 other speakers in the morning focused their interventions on more experiential and immersive approaches to a visit thanks to the creation :
- Olfactory experiences (Iris & Morpheus) ;
- Large-scale immersive shows (Polaris Production);
- An artistic residency and unique digital and immersive programming (Château de Beaugency);
- New approaches through virtual reality (Lucid Realities / Unframed Collection).
1. How to enhance the multi-sensoriality of a visit? Olfactory feedback from Iris & Morphée.
“It’s important to consider the integration of an olfactory device upstream of the scenographic design,” says Carole Calvez, perfume designer and director ofIris & Morphée. This olfactory design studio helps to create sensory experiences between scenography, mediation and the visitor experience.
Among the studio’s references is Pressoria. This sensory interpretation center dedicated to the wines of Champagne, located in Région Grand Est recently entrusted the redesign of its visitor itinerary to the Casson Mann scenography agency. Carole Calvez integrated a number of features into the tour, designed to appeal to all five senses. Among these, the reconstruction of a wine press encourages immersion from a gestural, olfactory and visual point of view. Another device shows the evolution of the odors of different wines, associated with a color code reminiscent of the surrounding scenography.
Other heritage sites have entrusted Iris & Morphée with the creation of sensory experiences both inside and outside their walls. Such is the case of the Prieuré St Cosme, former home of the poet Ronsard. Although sensory tours had previously been organized in the priory, various difficulties had prevented the development of a structured offer (e.g. regulations on fragrances and allergies, diffusion technology adapted for the general public…). All these challenges led the Prieuré to entrust Iris & Morphée with the creation of an olfactory furniture unit. This mediation device took the form of a cabinet of curiosities capable of mobilizing all 5 senses. Easy to move around, the device has enriched the in situ offer, as well as complementing the out-of-home offer for schoolchildren and disabled visitors (prisons, schools, EHPAD, etc.).
Olfactory reconstructions encourage visitors to immerse themselves sensitively and sensorially, in direct contact with the collections and works of art. Other, more event-based, approaches can also contribute to this immersion. This is the case, for example, with the shows offered by Polaris Production.
2. How to create immersive shows to bring the history of a place to life? The example of Polaris Production.
“The commitment of volunteers at our shows creates a buzz in favor of the venues”. With these words, Mathilde Gadeyne, Communications Manager at Polaris Production, highlights her production company’s ability to mobilize people. Specializing in the creation and operation of tailor-made show-events for cultural and heritage sites, Polaris productions encourages the involvement of local audiences (several hundred volunteers are involved in each show). This investment creates strong local roots and builds audience loyalty, both as participants and spectators of such events. According to studies carried out on various Polaris shows, 30% of spectators return to see the show the following year, and 70% say they want to visit the venue after the show.
It was in this participative spirit that the Secret Défense show was launched by Polaris Productions at the Château de Rambouillet (Centre des monuments nationaux). Over 600 volunteers came together over 4 weekends to bring the meeting between Eisenhower and De Gaulle to life for more than 20,000 visitors. This is a significant number for a site that welcomes an average of 40,000 visitors a year (46,753 in 2019). “The show really shone a spotlight on the former presidential residence. It also affirmed the château’s identity,” confided the venue’s administrator Isabelle de Gourcuff in an interview available here. In terms of business model, these shows are entirely financed by ticket sales (€8 for children and €17 for adults for Secret Défense), and receive no public subsidies. Each show is designed to run at the same venue for several years running.
To renew their in situ visitor experiences, some heritage and cultural sites offer immersive events such as those proposed by Polaris Production. Other sites are completely reinventing their visitor itineraries by dedicating them to digital art and mapping. Such is the case of the Château de Beaugency with its digital art center.
3. How do you create attractive and unique immersive programming in a dedicated venue? Focus on the Château de Beaugency digital art center.
Built in the 11th century, the Château de Beaugency is located on the Loire River, 30 km from Orléans. Since 2021, a digital art center has been occupying the premises on the initiative of AV Extended, an agency specializing in monumental architectural video-mapping, multimedia content creation, lighting design and the integration of digital devices. Nicolas Tochet, a partner at AV Extended, helped launch this attractive, multi-faceted offering, which has already welcomed a large number of visitors in its first year of operation (13,000 visitors in 2021). Among the many immersive formats created, temporary immersive indoor video-projected exhibitions are offered at the château (e.g. Van Gogh La tête dans les étoiles), as are in situ digital works and installations (e.g. Rêves Chromatiques by artist Jérémie Bellot) and sound and light shows on the façades… Almost all the rooms in this building, which has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1926, are dedicated to digital art in all its forms.
Beaugency is also an experimental project for the Strasbourg-based agency to determine whether, in time, this model can be reproduced in other heritage sites. Beaugency offers artist residencies (artists are invited to exhibit in the château) and guest rooms. In addition to these services, Beaugency also hosts a micro-folly and a program of events outside the castle walls. Projects such as these echo the role played by cultural venues in the attractiveness of a region (see our first article on this subject at the Heritage & Tourism morning session).
A heritage site dedicated to digital immersion, the Château de Beaugency is developing an ambitious program, capitalizing on AV Extended’s expertise. Other solutions exist for cultural venues wishing to host immersive works to enrich their visitor experience, such as the catalog of VR works made available by Unframed Collection.
4. How to develop immersive experiences in cultural venues? A look back at the Unframed Collection’s catalog of VR works.
Specialized in the cultural sector, the content production and distribution company dedicated to immersive and interactive writing Lucid Realities has created numerous works in virtual reality, including Lady Sapiens with the MNHN, The Enemy at the IMA and Claude Monet – L’obsession des Nymphéas with the Musée d’Orsay. Adrien Pflug, project manager at Lucid Realities, came to present us their future solution to facilitate the use of VR works in cultural venues: Unframed Collection.
This project to create a platform for connecting VR content producers and venues was prompted by a number of obstacles encountered by cultural institutions:
- A lack of visibility and legibility for all existing VR works that can be exploited;
- A lack of a uniform business model in the VR market;
- There are many uncertainties about the profitability of these still recent mediation systems;
- Concerns about in situ operations, particularly visitor management by trained personnel;
- And finally, the way in which revenues are distributed to rights-holders.
To counter this, Unframed Collection aims to bring together in a single catalog a large selection of VR works that can be used in cultural venues. The platform’s teams will act as intermediaries between producers and venues, negotiating rights and redistributing revenues. For the latter, a system of operating credit is envisaged, i.e. a flat-rate service that evolves according to the number of tickets sold. Unframed Collection is currently designing control software to manage the installations without requiring permanent staff. The project is currently in the design phase, and a test version is due to be launched in 2023.
Numerous formats have been devised by cultural venues to develop new visitor experiences that are spectacular, educational and immersive. Rich feedback was presented during the Heritage & Tourism morning at Val d’Oise, highlighting the diversity of immersive formats. From olfactory devices integrated into the scenography of a site (e.g. Iris & Morphée) to participative shows re-enacting historical events (e.g. Polaris Production), immersion can be achieved through re-enactment. Digital technology is also investing in the field of immersion in dedicated venues (e.g. Château de Beaugency) or via virtual reality works adapted for use in cultural venues (e.g. Unframed Collection).
Many thanks to the many guests who shared their projects, as well as to the professionals from Val d’Oise and France who attended our Matinée, and to Emeline Parizel for her graphic rendering.
Baudouin Duchange
