Visionairs gallery launches in WestK with exhibition to mark reopening of Notre Dame de Paris

Discover the rich history of Notre Dame de Paris at Hong Kong's brand new ArtTech gallery

Visionairs, Hong Kong’s first permanent ArtTech gallery, opens at WestK (the West Kowloon Cultural District) next weekend with a stunning debut exhibition that brings Notre Dame de Paris to life.

The Paris landmark officially reopens this month following years of painstaking repairs after a fire destroyed the cathedral’s roof and spire in 2019.

Notre Dame de Paris, The Augmented Exhibition is an historically accurate recreation of the famous cathedral throughout its 860-year history. Visitors are able to walk its halls, explore the roof and listen to stories told by its original builders using Augmented Reality technology which transports them to Notre Dame. The exhibition follows the origins of Notre Dame in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries through 800 years of history right up to the devastating fire of 2019. 

Visitors can explore using a ‘HistoPad’, a portable touch-screen tablet which opens up the cathedral with 20 different time portals tracing the cathedral’s history. The interactive tour includes major timeline events such as the extravagant wedding of King Henri IV to Margaret of Valois in 1572, the grand coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1804 and the building of the celebrated Viollet-le-Duc spire in the 1800s which was destroyed by the fire.

The exhibition also highlights the expertise and creativity of the many architects, craftsmen and builders who have worked on the cathedral for the best part of 1,000 years. 

The opening of the exhibition in Hong Kong on December 8 is timed to coincide with the official reopening of Notre Dame to the public in Paris. The exhibition has been created by Histovery in collaboration with Rebuilding Notre-Dame de Paris and supported by L’Oreal Group.

Visionairs is a French cultural and educational group founded by art, culture and history professionals, bringing history to life using augmented reality, virtual reality, artificial intelligence and other technological approaches.

The permanent Visionairs exhibition space at West Kowloon Cultural District, now known as WestK, will host digital art experiences blending art, history, culture and entertainment. Look out for its second exhibition, Revealing Tutankhamun - An Egyptian Tale, from March, 2025.

Notre Dame de Paris, The Augmented Exhibition, West Kowloon Cultural District; 11am to 6pm (Monday), 10am to 6pm (Tuesday and Wednesday), 10am to 8pm (Thursday), 10am to 10pm (Friday and Saturday), Sunday (10am to 9pm); December 8 to March 7; early bird tickets from $248 available online.