Immersive Mona Lisa Exhibition in Marseille, France

After the phenomenal success of immersive art exhibitions dedicated to artists such as Vincent Van Gogh, Frida Kahlo, and Monet, Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” is getting its own interactive experience.

The Louvre and Grand Palais are teaming up on a unique digital show dedicated to the most famous painting in the world, set to run at the Palais de la Bourse in Marseille, France, from Mar. 10 until Aug. 21, 2022. The exhibition, called “La Joconde” (the French name for the painting), will feature six themes that reveal details about the painting’s history and “the genius of its creator,” according to the Grand Palais’s website.

This immersive experience will explore various topics, including:

• What makes this 500-year-old painting a modern icon
• How its mysterious smile inspired other artists
• Its composition and da Vinci’s masterful technique

Moreover, visitors will have the rare opportunity to see a projection of the iconic portrait up close (because, let’s face it, the crowds at The Louvre are no joke).

The event promises to be notable, judging by the names behind it. The Louvre’s chief curator for paintings, Vincent Delieuvin, serves as scientific advisor, while scenography is crafted by Sylvain Roca, who has worked on dozens of interactive exhibits, including Grand Palais’s “Pompeii” and “Claude Monet Genius Loci” in Hong Kong.

Immersive exhibitions, while perhaps not universally acclaimed according to some art critics, have proven to be immensely popular with the general public. The Grand Palais, which is currently undergoing extensive renovation set to be completed in time for the 2024 Paris Olympics, plans to dedicate a permanent space to digital shows in its new venue. Consequently, the organization Grand Palais Immersif, the co-collaborator of the Mona Lisa exhibit, was created. This organization is also working on similar projects in Venice and Prague, aiming to stage “digital exhibitions that are relevant to our time, combining creativity and new approaches to art histories… that can generate large audiences in France but can have also an appeal and interest worldwide,” as stated by Roei Amit, the director of Grand Palais Immersif to The Art Newspaper.

Tickets for “La Joconde” are already available for pre-sale (from €14.50 or about $16.50) here.