Studio des Acacias is pleased to announce an exhibition by French dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied and celebrated American artist Barbara Kruger combining holographic projections, film and immersive scenography.

Founder of Studio des Acacias and CEO of Mazarine Group, Paul-Emmanuel Reiffers wanted to offer Millepied - his friend and former director of the Paris Opera Ballet - an occasion to create an all-new kind of exhibition with Barbara Kruger.

Benjamin Millepied, founder of the ensemble L.A. Dance Project and former director of the Paris Opera Ballet, will recreate the striking visual atmosphere imagined by artist Barbara Kruger for his ballet “Reflections” (2013). Millepied will offer visitors much more than a simple décor - an immersive experience on an unprecedented scale. Visitors will find themselves in the dancers’ shoes, at the very heart of Barbara Kruger’s scenography. The 3D reproduction of the ballet will be complete, with light, music and... holographic projections of four scenes from “Reflections”. The dancers of L.A. Dance Project will appear as holograms to perform highlights from the ballet.

“Reflections” is an original creation based on George Balanchine’s famous ballet “Jewels”. In the ballet, the dancers of L.A. Dance Project perform in the very heart of an enormous piece by Barbara Kruger: two huge canvases, one on the floor and the other in the background, featuring the American artist’s iconic colors (red, white and black) and slogans (Stay and Think of me thinking of you). Reflections Redux offers the public a chance to experience it themselves.

Internationally recognized, conceptual artist Barbara Kruger has been turning advertising images into art for over 30 years by magnifying them and incorporating slogans with political overtones. Barbara Kruger’s work, which explores the violence of consumerism (I shop therefore I am) and gender roles, developed on the highly political, outspoken New York art scene of the 1980s.

Today, Barbara Kruger is one of the world’s most respected artists, with works on display in major museums across the globe. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the prestigious Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA).

The exhibition will also introduce visitors to Millepied’s films, created with L.A. Dance Project and showcasing his choreographies and several artistic partnerships developed since 2012 (Mark Bradford, Liam Gillick, Sterling Ruby, etc.). A selection of films that played a crucial role in the choreographer’s creative process will also be screened.

Mazarine La Mode en Images and its creative director Olivier Massart will be responsible for the technical feat of creating the exhibition scenography. It will offer visitors an unprecedented, in-depth look at the world of Benjamin Millepied. The holograms of the dancers in action, created from recordings done with L.A. Dance Project in Los Angeles, will perfectly reproduce the difficulty, precision and emotion of the live choreographies. Visitors will have the opportunity not only to watch, but to experience for themselves the intense emotions of performing on stage, amid talented dancers.