A French national landmark, the Arc de Triomphe is often depicted in daylight. Yet since its construction, it has been the site of major ceremonies, events and nighttime gatherings. The exhibition "Triomphe, la nuit", in partnership with the City of Paris, tells and explores this historical and contemporary dimension of the monument at night through an unprecedented iconographic and documentary presentation, punctuated by its lighting.
The exhibition is located in the Salle des Palmes of the monument.
How does lighting transform heritage at night? Conceived as a monument bathed in daylight, the Arc de Triomphe, from its inauguration in 1836, found itself at the centre of a redefinition of nighttime uses and representations. At nightfall, new imaginaries – political, commemorative, popular – renew its perception through fireworks and grand luminous and event-based staging.