Hidden or little-known architectural gems are brought to light and exceptionally opened to the public, enabling wider knowledge and discovery. The unveiling of such venues is orchestrated to resonate with contemporary creative arts so as to bring the spirit of a place back to life.
The Genius Loci association promotes artists and designers by providing a personal, intimate perspective of their work and history through its program of exhibitions in venues chosen for their singular architectural noteworthiness.
The initial edition of Genius Loci in 2021 under the patronage of the Embassy of Italy rekindled the spirit of L’Ange Volant, designed and built in 1927 by architect and designer Gio Ponti in Garches, on the outskirts of Paris. For its second edition, under the patronage of the Académie des beaux-arts, the Conseil économique, social et environnemental, and the Mobilier national, Genius Loci offered the public its first glimpse of a 1930s masterpiece conceived by architect Auguste Perret in 1932, on the seventh floor of the building at 51 Rue Raynouard in Paris.
Breaking down barriers between artistic genres and building bridges between past and present, heritage and modernity, each exhibition brings together artists of different expressive modes – from visual arts, to olfaction, music and digital art.
With its experiential exhibitions, the Genius Loci association seeks to bring architecture to life in an emotion-filled sensory approach that aims to reveal the inner identity of a masterpiece.
Visits to the exhibitions are open to all, free of charge upon reservation and offered to a wide audience.