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Traveling back in time to celebrate the Cathedral’s legacy and the power of cultural beauty through immersive technology
HONG KONG, Dec. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — L’Oréal Group, in collaboration with cultural curator Visionairs, today inaugurated the opening of the "Notre-Dame de Paris: The Augmented Exhibition" at the Art Park in West Kowloon Cultural District ("WestK"). Developed by the French start-up Histovery, the "Notre-Dame de Paris: The Augmented Exhibition" opens to the public on 8 December – coinciding with the reopening of the cathedral to the public – and offers an unprecedented journey through 860 years of history, exploring the cathedral’s stunning interiors and witnessing pivotal moments, from its construction in 1163 to the ongoing restoration efforts. The opening ceremony was graced by distinguished guests from Institut Français, Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macau; the Office of the European Union to Hong Kong and Macao; West Kowloon Cultural District Authority; InvestHK; local and French community of business, art, culture and innovation, and more.
(From left to right) Ms. Lydie Blandeau, CEO and co-founder of Visionairs; Mrs. Christile Drulhe, Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macau; Ms. Eva Yu, President & Managing Director of L’Oréal Hong Kong; Mrs. Eva Nguyen Binh, President of Institut Français; Mr. André de Sá Moreira, Director of Exhibitions at Histovery
(From left to right) Mr. André de Sá Moreira, Director of Exhibitions at Histovery; Ms. Wendy Gan, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (District Development) of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority; Ms. Magali Potier, Co-founder and Producer of Visionairs; Ms. Lydie Blandeau, CEO and co-founder of Visionairs; Mrs. Eva Nguyen Binh, President of Institut Français; Ms. Eva Yu, President & Managing Director of L’Oréal Hong Kong; Mrs. Christile Drulhe, Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macau; Ms. Lan Zhenzhen, Chief Corporate Affairs and Engagement Officer of L’Oréal North Asia and China; Mr. Harvey Rouse, Ambassador and Head of the European Union Office to Hong Kong and Macao; Mr. Benjamin Cabouat, Consul for Culture, Education and Science of France in Hong Kong and Macau
L’Oréal believes in the power of beauty and beauty empowered by technology to serve everyone. Harnessing the potential of technology to create augmented experiences is at the heart of L’Oréal’s innovation approach. In recent years, the Group has made significant advances in Beauty Tech, developing unique services and products. Just as technology allows us to reinvent exchanges around beauty, it also creates new ways of diffusing culture and heritage. Therefore, in addition to being a donor to support the restoration of the cathedral’s reconstruction after the devastating fire in 2019, L’Oréal Groupe also sponsored the world-touring exhibition developed by Histovery in collaboration with the public institution Rebuilding Notre-Dame de Paris. This exhibition reflects L’Oréal’s purpose of creating the beauty that moves the world and allows consumers to experience how technology can contribute to culture, heritage enhancement and beauty preservation.
During the exhibition, visitors can immerse themselves into the heritage of Notre-Dame and navigate the cathedral’s key historical moments using the AR touch-screen tablet, HistoPadTM. They will travel back in time to witness the splendor of Napoleon’s coronation, uncover secrets within the radiant glow of the rose windows, and learn about the latest restoration progress. With a high degree of freedom and diverse interactive elements, the exhibition enables visitors of all ages and backgrounds to curate their own journeys and experience the multifaceted beauty of Notre Dame on their own terms.
The exhibition leverages augmented reality technology to recreate the splendor of Napoleon’s coronation.
Ms. Eva YU, President and Managing Director, L’Oréal Hong Kong, said, "L’Oréal’s 115-year legacy is rooted in beauty, creativity, and a deep respect for cultural heritage. ‘Notre-Dame de Paris: The Augmented Exhibition’ reflects these values, offering a unique opportunity for the public to experience the enduring beauty and resilience of this iconic landmark. We are honored to be part of this remarkable, innovative world experience in Hong Kong and inspire all of us to appreciate and preserve the shared beauty of this World Heritage treasure."
Ms. Lydie Blandeau, CEO and co-founder of Visionairs said, "Today marks the official opening of Visionairs, Hong Kong’s first permanent home for ArtTech located in Hong Kong’s WestK. This is the first of our research-backed cultural exhibitions that use immersive technology to bring history and culture to life for our audiences. We are delighted to collaborate with renowned cultural leaders and institutions worldwide, like Histovery, Rebuilding Notre-Dame de Paris and L’Oréal Groupe, to seamlessly integrate knowledge, culture, and history into immersive, guided experiences. We hope to be a must-visit destination for locals and tourists alike; a place where visitors can transcend time and space, exploring meticulously reconstructed historical scenes in high definition."
Mr. Bruno de Sa Moreira, co-founder, CEO, and executive producer of Notre-Dame de Paris: The Augmented Exhibition said, "This augmented exhibition sponsored by L’Oréal celebrates the extraordinary history and splendor of Notre-Dame de Paris. We are very grateful to L’Oréal for making this exhibition possible, and we are honored to present it at the Art Park in WestK, especially this month, which will be marked by the reopening of Notre-Dame."
Mrs. Christile Drulhe, Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macau said, "Five years after the fire that severely damaged Notre-Dame de Paris, the Cathedral is reopening to the public on December 8th, thanks to the tireless dedication of workers and supporters, including from Hong Kong. The inauguration of "Notre-Dame de Paris: The Augmented Exhibition" could therefore not be timelier, and I commend the role of L’Oréal and Visionairs, as well as the innovative technology of French start-up Histovery in this regard. We look forward to welcoming visitors from all around the world in Hong Kong Kong for this unique exhibition and in Paris to experience Notre-Dame de Paris once again, more vibrant and iconic than ever."
Notre-Dame de Paris: the Augmented Exhibition
Dates: 8 December 2024 to 7 March 2025
Location: Visionairs, Units GF-01-03, Art Park, 22 Museum Drive, West Kowloon Cultural District, Kowloon
Admission: Tickets available now
For more information, please visit: https://notredameexpo.com/en/
About Visionairs
Visionairs is a pioneering French cultural and educational organisation founded by experts in art, culture, and history. Dedicated to promoting art and technology globally, it curates research-backed cultural projects using immersive technologies, including augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI), alongside other innovative approaches, to bring history to life for its audiences. In collaboration with renowned cultural leaders and institutions worldwide, Visionairs seamlessly integrates knowledge, culture, and history into immersive, guided experiences. Its first permanent exhibition space is in Asia’s cultural capital, Hong Kong, at the city’s arts and cultural hub, West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK). Visionairs was founded by Lydie Blandeau and Magali Potier, leaders in the ArtTech space.
About Histovery
A French Tech & French Touch start-up, Histovery is at the cutting edge of innovation, using augmented reality to enhance heritage. HistoPadTM, our evolving "Augmented Visit" service on a tablet, revolutionizes the visitor experience in situ through immersive 360° reconstructions and interactive content manipulation, always carried out with rigorous respect for scientific knowledge.
HistoPadTM is now available at over 20 heritage sites, serving nearly three million visitors a year. More information at www.histovery.com and www.notredameexpo.com.
About L’Oréal
For 115 years, L’Oréal, the world’s leading beauty player, has devoted itself to one thing only: fulfilling the beauty aspirations of consumers around the world. Our purpose, to create the beauty that moves the world, defines our approach to beauty as essential, inclusive, ethical, generous and committed to social and environmental sustainability. With our broad portfolio of 37 international brands and ambitious sustainability commitments in our L’Oréal for the Future programme, we offer each and every person around the world the best in terms of quality, efficacy, safety, sincerity and responsibility, while celebrating beauty in its infinite plurality. With more than 90,000 committed employees, a balanced geographical footprint and sales across all distribution networks (e-commerce, mass market, department stores, pharmacies, perfumeries, hair salons, branded and travel retail), in 2023 the Group generated sales amounting to 41.18 billion euros. With 20 research centers across 11 countries around the world and a dedicated Research and Innovation team of over 4,000 scientists and 6,400 Digital talents, L’Oréal is focused on inventing the future of beauty and becoming a Beauty Tech powerhouse. More information on https://www.loreal.com/en/mediaroom
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