“13 euros l’entrée ! Abusé non ?” : l’exposition lumineuse à Bordeaux sous le feu des critiques
Through Jonas Denis
Published on
“But did you see the price !? It is abused anyway! Thirteen bullets for that, “writes Niko in a Facebook comment under a post ofActu.fr on the exhibition “The Wonderful World of Colors”.
Open since November 12, 2021, it presents more than 500 statues that light up every evening between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. until January 2.
While the exhibition’s success is total – around 10,000 visitors came on the first opening weekend on November 13 and 14 – voices have been raised to complain.
Between the waiting file at the entrance accused of endangering visitors (read below), the lighting problems that occurred on the first evening or the price “too high” for some, negative comments poured in. Alexandre Hourdequin, director of the Limelight company and organizer of the exhibition, responds to these attacks.
“Prices are abused”
11 euros for children and 13 euros for adults, these are the prices offered to access the exhibition. Laura, like others, gets annoyed in a comment on this price that she considers prohibitive: “The tickets are too expensive, I even find it absurd that it is paying!” “” Lamentable the price of entry. What a shame ! », Bounces Martine.
“I would like to remind you that we are one of the cheapest tickets on all the events offered by Master of banknotes in France (the site where you can buy your ticket), ”defends Alexandre Hourdequin. “Privatizing a park like this costs money and we paid for it. It represents a significant cost, ”he continues.
14 security guards are employed on the site
The manager of the organizing company explains that a normal lantern visible in the Bordeaux park costs between 900 and 3,000 euros and the larger ones between 5,000 and 6,000 euros.
Logistics for carriers so far have been the biggest part of the budget. The second is maintenance. We have recruited two electricians who check if everything is working.
Security is also a big part of the expense. “To prevent damage, fourteen security guards monitor each part of the exhibition during opening hours. 24 hours a day, the park is guarded. There is even a dog handler at night, ”exclaims the organizer to explain the prices.
A problematic entry
Access to the site was also criticized. From the first opening nights, visitors flocked to the exhibition to enter at 6 p.m. Problem: people have gathered in front of the entrance to the Bordeaux park and some are on the road, hindering motorists.
“We contacted the town hall which authorized us to install arrows inside as well as posts to create two separate files,” explains the 46-year-old man. They were installed at the start of the week.
As a result, the organization has decided to reduce the number of visitors each evening to avoid the accumulation of people at the entrance.
“Obviously, we did some tests! “
Also, on the Friday evening of the opening of the event, when the Bordeaux park is full of people, a blackout occurs. “The first night, it’s a shame! They could have done tests beforehand, ”writes a visitor who was there.
Obviously we did some testing. I’ve been working in the show for years. But in this case, there are more than 500 lanterns to manage. It’s a “live” show, it’s normal for there to be breakdowns.
That night there was a short circuit on a lantern. A cable had been cut and water was able to seep inside. “This caused a flower that caught up with it a large part of the illuminated statues. But it is surgery at this level, the problem was resolved the next day, ”says the manager.
Overall, people are satisfied
Alexandre Hourdequin wants to put things into perspective: “On our Facebook page, we counted around thirty vehement comments. I would like to remind you that there were 5,000 the first evenings! “
He is hurt by the critics. “It’s like your kid is being criticized, it’s hard to take. We spent so much time on this project… But we know that in any case, we will not be able to please everyone ”, he concludes.
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