Une statue pour la liberté, le rêve de Bartholdi, de Paris à New York. Expérience immersive en réalité virtuelle

Alongside the exhibition "Auguste Bartholdi, La Liberté éclairant le monde", the Musée d'Orsay is presenting the groundbreaking virtual reality experience "Une Statue pour la Liberté, le rêve de Bartholdi, de Paris à New York", spread across nearly 700 m² in the museum's Galerie Amont.

This immersive production plunges visitors into the heart of one of the most ambitious artistic and technical projects of the 19th century.

As the narrative unfolds, they become active witnesses to the birth of a Franco-American dream that transformed into a monument and remains today a universal symbol of freedom.

Equipped with a virtual reality headset, visitors walk in the footsteps of Auguste Bartholdi, a visionary sculptor driven by a dream bigger than himself.

From Versailles in 1865, where the republican thinker Édouard Laboulaye inspired him with the idea of a monument to Franco-American friendship, to Paris in the bustling atmosphere of the Gaget, Gauthier & Cie workshop ten years later, and finally to New York Harbor in 1886, where the statue finally rises.

Throughout the adventure, visitors discover Bartholdi's sources of inspiration, his technical, political, and financial obstacles, as well as the decisive alliances that made his dream possible: the engineer Gustave Eiffel, the journalist Joseph Pulitzer, the workshop workers, and anonymous donors from both sides of the Atlantic—all those who, together, gave a face to Liberty.

The fruit of scholarly work, the project is based on in-depth historical research and reconstructions. It offers a unique immersion into the Gaget, Gauthier & Cie workshop, meticulously reconstructed by GEDEON and its partner Aristeas.

The public discovers this now-vanished location and can appreciate its full scale: a vast space where nearly six hundred artisans and workers collaborated on the creation of the copper colossus imagined by Bartholdi.

The experience is recommended for ages 13 and up, with a minimum age of 8.

Please note that, given the technology used, any virtual reality experience is not recommended for pregnant women, people with heart conditions, those prone to epileptic seizures and migraines, or individuals with balance or vision disorders. M