Hall des Lumières — Local services in New York

Hall des Lummières is a historically landmarked building hosting immersive art exhibitions with music dedicated to world famous austrian Symbolist painter Gustav Klimt (1862 - 1918). Klimt is known for his paintings, murals, sketches, and other "objets d'art". Klimt's primary subject was the female body, and his works are marked by a frank eroticism. Amongst his figurative works, which include allegories and portraits, he painted landscapes. He is best known for The Kiss and Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I. Among the artists of the Vienna Secession, Klimt was the most influenced by Japanese art and its methods. His father used to be a gold engraver, so I assume that was the reason for Gustav to achieve success with the paintings of his "golden phase", many of which include gold leaf. His probably most important painting, an oil-on canvas with added gold "Kiss", now hangs in the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere museum in the Upper Belvedere Palace in Vienna, and is considered a masterpiece of Vienna Secession – the local variation of Art Nouveau – and probably Klimt's most important work. His second masterpiece from 1907. "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I" , was sold for a record $135 million in 2006 to Neue Galerie, New York. Adele died in 1925, and her husband Ferdinand become an owner of this painting. The painting was stolen by Nazi's in 1941. during WW2, but returned in one moment to Belvedere gallery in Wiena. Many years later, Ferdinand's niece Maria Altmann after a seven year legal claim returned 5 art pieces (including this one) to the family. In 2006, the painting was sold to The Neue Galerie in NYC. This immersive exhibition was held in Historic Emigrant Industrial Savings Bank building, called Hall de Lumières. Magnificant event venue, an architecture masterpiece with stained glass skylights. This exhibition is a multi-sensory experience, that will engage all your sensese. You are stepping into a wonderland of moving paintings and you'll be amazed by the golden era of modernism. Tickets ($29 for adults) can be purchased through Fever app. Restrooms available in the basement of the building. The exhibition lasts around 1h, there are 3...

The price is quite steep, especially if you decide to purchase tickets within 2 hours of entering! The door price totals to ~$43 which is not cheap for an hour experience. To save a few dollars, plan ahead by reserving tickets online at least 3-5 hours in advance.

Now, the actual experience is something to marvel at! It is beautiful and thoughtful. At first, I thought it was just a projection that was casted upon the wall to fall upon the architecture spontaneously but after watching for some time, it was evident that the moving art was measured meticulously to match the architecture of the building! That in and of itself is a wonderful feat.

Truly, I think this was a sensory experience - the combination of visual and auditory stimuli also drove an emotional experience too. The way the music rises and swells with the pictures, in the same pace made it feel so immersive. There are 2 movies of the experience - the main one is Gustav Kilmet's ornate geometric art and the other that is a shorter moving art film done by dancers.

With respect to the space, not much place to sit - but many people are happy to sit on the floor.

Quick tip, do NOT use the bathroom by the entrance where there are some informational panels about Gustav Kilmet lol, it's a single bathroom i.e. long line and not well maintained. If you pass through the main section (where the largest projection is cast) and find the bathroom there, it is clean and toilettes plentiful.

There is also a downstairs with a smaller installation unrelated to the film. You can stay for as long as you want and check out different sections to have a varied experience. I think I spent 2-3 hours here and enjoyed my time!

Will add that I have not been to any other immersive experiences and this...

The immersive art experiences are a really fun way to engage with and appreciate the art whether you are a fan of the artist or not. It allows you to learn more about the pieces and styles of popular artists.

This is housed in the old bank building and the location is awesome. There was plenty of seating so you could be comfortable watching the run throughs. Personally, I think its neat to see the art from the elevated level where you get an awesome appreciation for what is happening under your feet, however, Hall des Lumieres has a downstairs level, beyond the main floor, which really was the best viewing of all! The 360 degree view here bounces off mirrored fixtures and is easy to see in total surround. The upper floor has more architecture interrupting its flow so it felt more difficult to appreciate all sides.

Today there were 3 exhibits in one! Chagall, Kandinsky, and a nature kaleidoscope called Natures Imagination which was shown in The Vault. A very cool space unto its own! We watched 2 total run throughs of each and spent 2 hours at the Hall. I would encourage visitors to spend at least that long! You see so much more the second time through and can more fully appreciate the way that pieces have been cut to match the music. Looking forward to future...