MFAH's immersive exhibit brings Notre Dame to Houston

HOUSTON — Everyone who has visited Notre-Dame de Paris remembers the moment they walked into the hallowed basilica.

Now, thanks to a special immersive exhibit of meticulously crafted projections of Notre Dame at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), Catholics and non-Catholics alike have the chance to view the iconic church up close and in Houston.

Commemorating the historic Dec. 8 reopening of the Parisian church, Ars Electronica, in partnership with French start-ups Iconem and Histovery, developed an experience that brings visitors into a virtual 3-D model of Notre Dame. The presentation uses point cloud data compiled by the late Belgian art historian and Vassar College professor Andrew Tallon, who created 3-D laser scans of the cathedral in 2010 that proved instrumental in guiding the cathedral’s reconstruction as well as additional scans and 3-D material by Histovery.

The Notre Dame immersive experience is on view at the Cullinan Hall in the Caroline Wiess Law Building of the Museum of Fine Arts located at 1001 Bissonnet St. in Houston, now through Jan. 5, 2025.

The virtual installation by the Ars Electronica Futurelab recreates the experience of being in the medieval cathedral’s majestic space while revealing the extraordinary achievement of those engaged in Notre Dame’s five-year restoration: a team of nearly 2,000, both on-site and in workshops across France, including conservators, carpenters, glassmakers, locksmiths, engineers and scaffolding experts. The presentation showcases the legendary architectural features of the cathedral, including its famed stained-glass windows, as well as the role of technology in preserving and sharing humanity’s cultural heritage.

“It is difficult to exaggerate the role Notre Dame plays in the public imagination, from its iconic architecture, emblematic of the Northern Gothic style, to its magnificent stained-glass rose windows,” said Gary Tinterow, MFAH director, and Margaret Alkek Williams, museum chair. “When the fire erupted five years ago, millions of people around the world grieved the loss of a monument that had personal significance to each of them. Happily, the cathedral has been restored, and now Houstonians will be among the first to experience the reconstructed building that rose from the ashes.”

The exhibit’s projections surround visitors across three monumental walls. The animated, 14-minute presentation replicates the experience of approaching the cathedral from its plaza as light shifts from daytime to dusk to evening, with views of its façade on three sides, entering the nave, illuminated by candlelight, and viewing the stained-glass windows. That sequence is followed by visuals of the overnight fire and its aftermath.

The final sequence shows the cathedral’s newly reconstructed spire, topped with a cross and a golden rooster. The rooster, which was thought to have been lost when the spire collapsed in the fire, was discovered intact in the rubble and is now on display in the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine museum in Paris.

In its place atop the spire is a reproduction of the original sculpture, including relics from the original rooster in the 19th century, which have been transferred to the new one. The rooster is a national emblem of France and a symbol of Christianity; this new figure, with its flame-like wings, was intended to recall a phoenix, with its associations of rebirth, renewal and hope.

MFAH members and all access tickets include same-day admission to the Notre Dame exhibition, as well as other special exhibitions and the MFAH Permanent Collections. Admission to the Notre Dame exhibition is free on Thursdays with a Permanent Collections ticket.

The museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Tickets range from $10 to $24, with a senior discount available. For more information on tickets and locations, visit mfah.org.