The museum opened in 2009 as the first to be dedicated to the work of James Turrell, an illustrious American artist known for creating pieces that explores the plastic and emotional possibilities of light. It is located in Colomé, in the middle of the Calchaquí Valley in the north-western Argentine province of Salta. An extraordinarily peaceful and beautiful place, it has a vineyard that belonged to the Swiss-American grower Donald Hess, who died in 2023 and was also the owner of the artworks.

The project was carried out with great care and the direct participation of Turrell, who decided the arrangement of the works in the museum. The building comprises nine rooms with different light installations that submerge the viewer in an intensely spiritual experience. Before these works, spaces dematerialise, a sensation of confronting immensity is aroused, and pure colour invades everything. Moreover, when the Andean skies intervene in the ‘skyspace’ entitled Unseen Blue, emotions are felt that are hard to explain. Beyond the walls of the museum, the experience continues with a visit to the vineyards and the magnificent landscapes of the valley. Besides discovering the art centre, which must be booked in advance, it is also possible to eat at the restaurant, taste the wines and spend the night at its hotel facilities.