French May Arts Festival
Virtually Versailles 2023 

The Challenge

French May Arts Festival brought in the inspiring idea of a virtual exhibition to allow local and regional visitors to discover 'Versailles' - the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Without transporting art pieces and statues from Versailles, LORE challenge was to reveal the essence of Versailles in an elevated and unexpected digitalised way. LORE had to create a strategic visitor flow to maximise the usable exhibition space, emotionally enrich the experience and make visitors feel as if they were momentarily in Versailles.

The Approach

LORE was responsible for technical implementation, full production and maintenance of the exhibition. It was located at the Shatin Heritage Museum across two halls an area of 800 sqm.

The intention was to allow visitors to interact with Versailles through physical, sensory and digital levels without losing the cultural essence of the project. There were 6 thematic zones over two halls, namely "Time Travel Versailles", "The Splendours of Versailles", "Versailles Style", "The Nature of Versailles", "Innovation at Versailles" and "A Day in Versailles".

A 5-sided, 360-degree HD LED room offered an almost immersive spatial journey to virtually 'transport' visitors into the five most emblematic rooms of Versailles. Multi-sensory experiences allowed visitors to hear the reconstructed voice of Louis XIV and smell the exclusive fragrance created especially for Versailles by a renowned French master perfumer. A perfect combination of laser projection and an over 200 degree panoramic curved screen, in collaboration with local artist Professor Jeffrey Shaw from Hong Kong Baptist University created an immersive theatrical space for visitors to virtually cycle through the gardens of Versailles to appreciate their natural beauty.

Whilst it is possible to fear that virtual experiences offer less than a real visit, the exhibition offered visitors the opportunity to touch, feel, smell and interact in a way that isn’t possible at Versailles.

The total number of physical visitations of the exhibition is 119,873 over 3 months. From the survey, 93% of the visitors highly satisfied with entire experience.

Awards

2023/Gold Award/Excellence in Use of Technology/Marketing Excellence Award 2023

Accolades

"Thank you very much for the great effort of your team and you that ensured the smooth operation of the exhibition… Looking forward to work you again in future!"

Dr Raymond Tang Man-leung, Curator (Art) of Hong Kong Heritage Museum 

"Many thanks for your tremendous support to the exhibition. It was truly a pleasure to work with you in this extraordinary project. "

Mr Brian Lam Kwok-fai, Museum Director of Hong Kong Heritage Museum

"We also express our deepest gratitude for your exceptional contribution for Virtually Versailles. That exhibition would not have been possible without LORE. Your commitment and expertise have been instrumental in making this event a resounding success. Thank you for being so patient, listening and your precious advice in any circumstances."

Mr Xavier Mahé, General Manager of French May Arts Festival