Interactive Atelier des Enfants, Paris

The Atelier des Lumières unveils Atelier des Enfants, an interactive experience powered by Modulo Kinetic

Since spring 2025, the Atelier des Lumières has been offering visitors a unique experience through the Atelier des Enfants, an immersive and interactive 160m² space where art comes to life through audience engagement. This creative and playful environment is powered by a state-of-the-art technical setup combining video projection, LiDAR sensors, and the Modulo Kinetic media server by Modulo Pi.

At the beginning of 2025, the Atelier des Lumières’ Studio was transformed to unveil a new immersive and interactive experience. In a 160m² room previously dedicated to the display of contemporary digital artworks, the Atelier des Enfants now offers visitors a space that fosters creativity.

This transformation reflects Culturespaces’ ambition – as the creator of the Atelier des Lumières – to continuously enrich and renew its offering. “We’ve always been committed to staying at the forefront of technology, and adding interactive experiences that are in tune with the times felt like a natural extension,” says Grégoire Monnier, Director of Culturespaces Studio. “But our venues are very large, and we welcome a high number of visitors, which can be challenging. That’s why we decided to dedicate a specific room to this type of experience. A more contained space allows us to design an interactive journey that is both engaging and controlled.”

This approach has already led to the creation of a Kids’ Atelier within the Port des Lumières in Hamburg, Germany. Alongside its main exhibition hall, Culturespaces’ latest digital art center includes an immersive and interactive room themed around the sea – an experience inspired by the port city’s maritime DNA.

In Paris, the Atelier des Enfants features a program centered around the work of Henri Rousseau, a self-taught painter known for his lush and exotic universe. “We took things a step further in Paris by basing the experience directly on an artist’s work,” explains Grégoire Monnier. “The experience brings elements from Rousseau’s paintings to life. Visitors remain immersed in the painter’s world, where playfulness and artistic expression meet.”

Located next to the main exhibition space, the Atelier des Enfants invites visitors into a luxuriant jungle filled with animals and enchanting characters inspired by Henri Rousseau’s artwork. Several coloring tables offer templates of animals drawn from the painter’s universe. Children and adults alike can unleash their creativity and then watch their creations appear in the immersive projection after being scanned. The design and development of this interactive universe were entrusted to the creative studio Spectre Lab.

To bring this innovative project to life, Culturespaces relied on the Modulo Kinetic media server solution by Modulo Pi, already in use at the Atelier des Lumières since its opening in 2018. “We’re grateful for Culturespaces’ continued trust over the years,” says Yannick Kohn, founder and CEO of Modulo Pi. “Modulo Kinetic is constantly evolving to provide a comprehensive solution for interactive experiences, elegantly combining 2D and 3D elements with real-time show control.”

From a technical standpoint, 8 x Epson EB-PU2010 video projectors display visuals across a 39-meter-wide surface, with a projection height of over 3 meters. The system is powered by Modulo Kinetic, using 1 x dedicated Kinetic Designer workstation and 2 x Kinetic V-Node servers. Additionally, 4 x Hokuyo 2D LiDAR sensors are installed at the top of various walls.

Each animal template features four unique QR codes. Once their drawing is complete, visitors can scan their artwork. Thanks to Modulo Bridge – a compact device discreetly placed near the scanner – a network bridge is created between the scanner and Modulo Kinetic, enabling instant communication between both systems.

Modulo Kinetic detects the QR codes, identifies the animal, and instantly matches the scanned image with the corresponding media and animation. The drawing is processed in real time, mapped as a texture onto a pre-rigged 3D object, and injected into the projection displayed in the room. Just a few seconds later, the scanned animal is fully integrated into the jungle and comes to life on the walls of the Atelier with its own unique colors.

This process is powered by Modulo Kinetic’s node-based compositing tool, used to build real-time animations. The media server’s timelines then allow for seamless blending of video playback and interactive 3D layers.

Once projected, the personalized artworks also become interactive. With support from the Hokuyo LiDAR sensors, Modulo Kinetic instantly detects when a scanned drawing is touched. The media server then triggers visual and sound effects, making the world even more vibrant and engaging.

In addition to the custom drawings, other continuously projected elements also respond to touch, revealing playful animations inspired by key features of Rousseau’s lush jungle.

Since its launch, the Atelier des Enfants has been met with great enthusiasm, as Grégoire Monnier explains: “Children and parents alike love coloring the drawings and seeing their creations come to life. The feedback has been very positive, and the space is particularly popular on weekends.”