Laure Prouvost has transformed Paris’ Grand Palais’ iconic glass-roofed nave into a multi-sensory environment, unveiling her major multimedia installation, We Felt a Star Dying. Marking the French artist’s large-scale intervention within the historic landmark, the work investigates the counterintuitive principles of quantum physics while asking how reality might be experienced from the perspective of particles.
Consequently, the exhibition brings together contemporary art, philosophy, and scientific research within an immersive setting. In addition, the project demonstrates Prouvost’s continued interest in creating environments that engage multiple senses and challenge conventional perceptions.
Developed over two years, the installation emerged from collaborations with philosopher Tobias Rees and scientist Hartmut Neven. Meanwhile, the research process provided the artist with access to a powerful quantum computer capable of generating complex algorithmic information, images, and sound compositions.
Visitors begin the experience by passing through an initiatory tunnel, a recurring element within Prouvost’s practice. As a result, they encounter “The Beginning,” a monumental six-limbed kinetic sculpture animated through changing light and sound.
Video, Sculpture, and Sound Create an Immersive Narrative
At the sculpture’s core is the central video piece, We Felt a Star Dying, which connects living, non-living, natural, and mechanical matter from the infinitely small to the infinitely large.
Therefore, the work establishes a visual dialogue between microscopic and cosmic scales. Furthermore, the installation reflects Prouvost’s ongoing exploration of interconnected systems and fluid relationships between different forms of existence.
Suspended throughout the Grand Palais nave are meteorite-inspired forms titled “Cute Bits.” These paired structures reference quantum computing’s “qubits” while evoking the phenomenon of entanglement.
Consequently, the sculptural elements extend the exhibition’s scientific themes into the surrounding architectural space. Their playful forms also introduce a sense of wonder and movement beneath the historic glass roof.
Contemporary Art Meets Scientific Inquiry at the Grand Palais
Through video, kinetic sculpture, and sound, Prouvost creates an environment that blurs the boundaries between art and research. In addition, the project highlights the increasing dialogue between contemporary artistic practices and emerging technologies.
Accordingly, We Felt a Star Dying positions the Grand Palais as a venue for ambitious interdisciplinary installations that unite visual culture with scientific thought. At the same time, the exhibition reinforces Laure Prouvost’s reputation for producing immersive works that merge storytelling, material experimentation, and conceptual inquiry.
Laure Prouvost’s We Felt a Star Dying is currently on view in the North Nave of the Grand Palais until July 26, 2026.
Grand Palais
Access: 7 Avenue Winston Churchill,
75008 Paris, France