Boat World News
U-BOAT PENS BECOME ART
A WWII GERMAN SUBMARINE BASE NEAR BORDEAUX, FRANCE HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO A VIBRANT ART CENTRE, DISPLAYING THE WORKS OF LATE 19TH CENTURY PAINTERS AS NEVER BEFORE.
Established in June this year, the Bassins de Lumieères is the brainchild of Culturespaces – a French company specialising in creating digital art centres and immersive exhibitions – and the former U-boat base presented the perfect venue.
Digital versions of famous paintings are projected on to the walls of the base’s vast concrete chambers (110m long by 12m high) – and they’re also reflected in the water. This adds a new dimension to experiencing art – particularly as the paintings are viewed against a backing soundtrack from the works of composers such as Wagner, Beethoven and Mahler. Visitors view the paintings from gangways above the water and along the quays of the pens.
The U-boat base was built in 1941 to accommodate 15 submarines. Constructed in super-strong concrete it survived the Allies’ best bombing
