Why is the Mona Lisa the most famous painting in the world? While this may seem like a simple question, the answers are varied, complex and surprising, allowing visitors to understand part of the myth and, above all, the work itself, beyond the false mysteries and clichés.

The Mona Lisa Immersive exhibition is an invitation to rediscover Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece through stories and sensory experiences: the exhibition is punctuated by encounters with the "landscape skin" that runs down one side of the exhibition space. This skin immerses visitors in a place inspired by works by Leonardo da Vinci (1452 - 1519), such as the Mona Lisa, the Virgin of the Rocks and Saint Anne, and offers interactive experiences for the public.

Different visual narratives tell the stories, anecdotes, the context of modernity and the origins of this painting that has become an icon. Visitors wander through the landscapes of these works, which are at once instructive, sensory and contemplative. Six very large-format digital projections convey the polysemy of Leonardo da Vinci's work.

"This tiny portrait of a woman painted more than five hundred years ago, transcending its status as a Renaissance masterpiece and a seminal work in the history of art, has evolved into a pop culture icon revered by millions around the globe. Its enigmatic smile and captivating gaze have permeated diverse facets of contemporary culture, from fashion and advertising to film and literature, making it much more than just a painting. Placed behind glass at the turn of the twentieth century, out of reach since the 1911 theft and protected by a bulletproof case since 1974, the Mona Lisa is wholly unattainable. Yet Leonardo da Vinci had intended the portrait to be a tête-à-tête; that a connection should immediately form between Mona Lisa and the viewer. What, then, can be done to help taking a closer look, to understand, and ultimately love, this most famous of paintings? The project for an immersive exhibition came about as part of an answer.

Nowadays, we have access to high definition technologies that enable us to observe each detail, almost as though we were inside the painting; museum laboratories have developed investigative methods, thanks to which we can reveal the different stages in its composition as well as the secrets behind Leonardo's technique. Most of the time, these fascinating images are seen only by specialists. Today Mona Lisa Immersive shares all of this with the public who can thus experience the Mona Lisa as never before".

- Laurence des Cars, President and Director of Musée du Louvre