La Galerie du temps

Louvre-Lens
Semi permanent scenography of the Galerie du Temps - Louvre Lens (2005-2012) built by SANAA
Status: Restricted competition, 2019
Client: E.P.C.C. - Musée du Louvre-Lens
BERGER&BERGER (lead architect)
Team: Théo Vachon
Collaborator: Syndicat (Graphic design) https://s-y-n-d-i-c-a-t.eu/
Surface: 3 000 m²

https://www.louvrelens.fr/en/

Three principles fundamentally define the project:

The definition of a regular grid that overlaps with that of the building and extends to its perimeter. This grid allows for the arrangement of all the artworks and makes full use of the entire interior landscape of the Gallery, enabling the perception of both the qualities of the artworks and those of the architecture. This grid, combined with that of the building, helps to harmonize the space, functions, and various technical systems necessary for the exhibition (such as artificial lighting).

The systematic orientation of the "front" of the artworks in the direction of chronological progression and the systematic placement of labels on the back of the artworks. This arrangement encourages direct engagement between the public and the artworks, free from historical interpretation that might interfere with a free and "innocent" perception of the art. It allows for an innocent perception of these creations for what they are: pure formal, material, and chromatic creations. It also reveals the "reverse side" of the work, which intimately informs us about the multiple histories of art that are testified by the inscriptions on the back of the artworks.

The experience of this exhibition and collection is equally important on the way in ("front" of the artworks) as it is on the return ("back" of the artworks). Walking through the Gallery in reverse and in its entirety (both width and length) creates a unique spatial experience paired with an exceptional display. It is an experience of dialectical time, one that holds as much meaning as the initial journey. To achieve this, specific and precise work is done to free the artworks from display mechanisms that obstruct the perception of space. The approach is to minimize the impact of vitrines and pedestals to liberate both the space and the artworks.