Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience By: Lauren Avila

Likely if a person mentions the name of the famous Dutch artist, Vincent Van Gogh, it immediately prompts images of deep hues of swirling skies or bright yellow flowers resting in a vase. Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, which has been open since 2021, is elevating old classics and converting them into  new forms for anyone to enjoy. 

Upon entering the exhibit and throughout the layout of rooms there is an abundance of information about Van Gogh. As much as it is a welcome change to approach well-known art in a new way, it is vital to first understand the artist. The exhibit includes various ways to get to meet Vincent, the man. There is a comprehensive history provided pertaining to his birth, family, physical and mental challenges, and the end of his life. Of high interest to those who may not know about Van Gogh’s style, this information also includes the reason why he created art the way he did. 

Beyond learning about the art is the art itself in various forms. The exhibit introduces large scale versions of some of Van Gogh’s most notable works. What was previously only known to the world through oil paintings is brought to life by set pieces, backdrops, and computer animations. 

Additionally, visitors are given the opportunity to be hands-on and fully immersed as the name of the exhibit implies. There is an entire room full of art from past visitors who paid homage to Van Gogh’s most well known paintings, such as “Starry Night,” “Self Portrait,” and the “Sunflowers” series by creating their own version of it. The Immersive Experience also offers a VR experience (that comes at additional cost) to see the paintings up close in a digitally-advanced environment.

“I really liked that the whole point of the immersive experience is to see his life from his point of view,” Van Gogh the Immersive Experience visitor, Udeshna, observed. “I like that the asylum and The Bedroom paintings were immersive and that it gave a brief of his life.”

Throughout the exhibit there are ways to observe the man, the paintings, and also a way to engage with them. Still, it is the conclusion that truly brings the visitor into the art. Visitors step into a room that is covered in screens from floor to ceiling and creates a 360 degree world of art. It is flooded with lights, music, and moving projections. Chairs, benches, and loungers provide a welcoming environment to relax and submerge completely into the art that was only looked upon moments before but now surround the visitor in an all-consuming way. After learning about Vincent and his trade, it is more emotional to feel a real and deep connection to his art, including quotes from him. 

One may experience a new sense of appreciation of a man’s life work when surrounded by his art and reading his own words: “Success is sometimes the outcome of a whole string of failures.”

Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience is self-guided so a person may enjoy it at their own pace. The exhibit provides several rooms of information, art, and photo opportunities, therefore it is easy to let hours slip by, particularly in the final room. It can be enjoyed for a few minutes or much longer, with footage looping every ten minutes or so. 

Tickets for the exhibit begin at £20.90. It is currently an ongoing experience.