Step into the Art Brut VR experience and journey through Henry Darger’s lost paradise

What if we could enter, literally, into a work of art? With INSIDER-OUTSIDER, the Grand Palais and the Centre Pompidou offer a virtual reality musical experience to discover the teeming world of Henry Darger, a shadowy artist who became an emblematic figure of Art Brut.

Henry Darger was responsible for countless writings, paintings and song lyrics, which he conceived, reclusive in his Chicago bedroom from 1930 until his death in 1973. Set in a paradise-like setting, his large watercolors reveal, with unsettling force, lost innocence and a shattered Eden. Landscapes in which the shadow of horror hovers, discreet but persistent.

INSIDER–OUTSIDER invites you to dive into the dreamlike, singular universe of The Realms of the Unreal, the world-work patiently crafted by Henry Darger over more than thirty years, alone within the walls of his Chicago bedroom. Throughout the experience, you follow in the footsteps of the Vivian Girls young heroines battling violence, war, and unleashed forces. The experience was initiated by Philippe Cohen Solal (Gotan Project), who also composed the soundtrack with Mike Lindsay, drawn from the album Outsider.

Co-produced with Lucid Realities and Science & Mélodie, this interactive journey combines pop music, hybrid animation (2D/3D) and, as an introduction, a faithful reconstruction of the artist's bedroom, created by scenographer Jérôme Clermont (Atelier Obermant) from photographic archives and testimonials.

The experience, accessible within the exhibition, requires a specific reservation. Choose the option when booking online.

Please note: the experience is not recommended for children under 11 and people sensitive to virtual reality (pregnant women, people prone to epilepsy, migraines, balance, vision or heart problems).