Project History

Dans le noir ?

If the world is an exploration of sensations, our senses are scarcely awake.

And if the sensation was just there, in front of us, inside us ?

And if sight, the dominant sense, suddenly disappeared for a few hours would that awaken an unbelievable world of sense, touch, taste and smells ?

It is these questions (hence the ? in our logo) that innovaters like Andreas Heineke in Germany or Michel Reilhac in France tried to highlight, organizing all over Europe during the last ten years a full ranges of experiences like dining in the dark, bars, tactile and audio exhibitions, art performance, etc…of course all in the complete darkness.These experiences have been developed in France with the involvement in 1999 of the Paul Guinot foundation (the second main blind organization in France) that developed a program of diners in the dark called “Le gout du noir ?”. This program was very successful especially regarding the media, it has led Michel Reilhac to produce the first ever TV show in complete darkness (shot in infra red), this show was presented by two journalists (one of them being blind).

"Dans le Noir ?" was founded by Edouard de Broglie and Etienne Boisrond in 2004 in Paris with the support of the Paul Guinot Foundation for Blind People. Ethik Investment was among the first private company to develop this concept in the world. With more than 100 000 visitors since the opening "Dans le Noir ?" Paris became the largest operation creating awarness of disability in France whilst remaining a private and profitable company since 2005. "Dans le Noir ?" is now also in London with one of the biggest Restaurant in the Dark in the world.

Dans le Noir propose a franchise program and contract for entrepreneurs interested by the project. The first franchise has been opened in Moscow at the end of 2006.

"Dans le Noir ?" was founded by Edouard de Broglie and Etienne Boisrond in 2004 in Paris with the support of the Paul Guinot Foundation for Blind People. Ethik Investment was among the first private company to develop this concept in the world. With more than 100 000 visitors since the opening "Dans le Noir ?" Paris became the largest operation creating awarness of disability in France whilst remaining a private and profitable company since 2005. "Dans le Noir ?" is now also in London with one of the biggest Restaurant in the Dark in the world.

“ Dans le Noir ?” proposes a franchise program and contract for entrepreneurs interested by the project. The first franchise has been opened in Moscow at the end of 2006.

. "Dans le Noir ?" also develop an Event Marketing agency organising useful projects all over Europe since 2004. They helped the Futuroscope in Poitier to set up an experience in the dark with more than 90 000 visitors last year. The agency work for prestigious companies such as Moet et Chandon, l’Occitane, Jean Paul Gaultier in France or Starbucks in England.

Restaurant where you can eat in complete darkness are also open b foundation or other private operators in Zurich and Bale (Switzerland), Koln, Hamburg, Fankfurt, Berlin, Montreal, Finland …. All these experiences increase public of blindness.