Every year, the Nuit Blanche turns Paris and its surroundings into a nocturnal spectacle that pushes reality to its edges. On this special evening, contemporary art takes over the capital, seizing emblematic, historic, and hidden venues to reveal works, installations, and performances for both enthusiasts and the simply curious. Each edition serves up a cachet of artistic experiences—intriguing, spectacular, immersive, moving, and inspirational. Don’t miss the next gathering lined up for the night of Saturday, June 6 to Sunday, June 7, 2026 in the Île-de-France region.
Among the venues hosting works during Nuit Blanche, this year we find the Chapelle Expiatoire, a historic monument perched in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, tucked inside a green square. Here lies a site erected on the former Place de la Madeleine cemetery, which originally housed the remains of Louis XVI, the last King of France of the Old Regime, and Queen Marie-Antoinette.
The Chapelle Expiatoire in Paris, the monument erected in memory of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette
The Chapelle Expiatoire is one of Paris's hidden monuments. Erected in memory of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, this historic site is well worth a visit! [Read more]
After being moved to the necropolis of France’s kings within the Basilique Saint-Denis, Louis XVIII, brother of Louis XVI, had the Chapelle Expiatoire erected at the dawn of the 19th century in memory of the royal couple. It is in this place, so closely tied to France’s history, that contemporary art makes its appearance for the 25th edition of Nuit Blanche in Paris.
Sound and light installation
On the occasion of Nuit Blanche 2026, the Expiatory Chapel hosts Threshold, an in situ installation by Italian artist Emilio Ferro, directed by Studio Artera.
The work fills the chapel as a space shaped by presence and memory, operating in an atmosphere where the physical structure and immaterial perception meet. In this context, the building becomes a testing ground where the senses are continually reoriented.
The experience
A concentrated beam of white light erupts from a metal framework and slices through the nave, forming a precise yet intangible volume. Its behavior shifts with the chapel’s opening and closing: when the chapel is open, the light projects outward into the garden; when it is closed, it gathers inside, resting on the surfaces of the space. This movement establishes a dynamic relationship between interior and exterior, without imposing a fixed boundary.
The presence of visitors directly influences the spatial condition. Movement, duration, and proximity modulate the venue’s balance, introducing subtle variations that transform the installation into a perceptual environment in constant flux.
Sound and atmosphere
An original sound composition by Emilio Ferro permeates the space, built from frequencies of magnetic field recordings made by the artist. These recordings are sampled and rearranged to form the installation’s soundtrack, adding an acoustic dimension that extends perception beyond the visible.
Within the installation, time is not experienced as a linear progression but as a suspended, layered state. Light and sound shape this temporal density, allowing visitors to experience a condition that unfolds between immediacy and duration.
A project directed by Studio Artera.
With the support of Art Culture and Faith.
Dates and Opening Time
On June 6, 2026
Location
Chapelle Expiatoire
29 Rue Pasquier
75008 Paris 8
Prices
Free
Official website
www.chapelle-expiatoire-paris.fr
The Chapelle Expiatoire in Paris, the monument erected in memory of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette
