I first became aware of immersive art exhibits happening internationally more than a year ago, and finally was able to attend one in Los Angeles at the end of 2021. The experience was unique and wonderful, all the more so for its subject matter, the art of Vincent Van Gogh.
The world has marveled at the paintings of Van Gogh for more than a century and many of his vibrant and brilliant works have become iconic images, influencing succeeding generations of artists.
I dream of painting and then I paint my dream. ~Vincent Van Gogh
How does one describe an immersive art exhibit? A museum experience on steroids would not be exaggerating. One does not walk through multiple, large, hushed rooms, pausing at each small painting and perhaps reading details regarding the piece.
For an Immersive Experience such as this, one enters a single enormous space which replaces or expands the physical world by the creation of a 360 space of digital landscape, allowing one to look in multiple directions to see content. It can take a variety of forms, from virtual reality which shuts out real life spaces to augmented reality, which superimposes a layer of digital content over the physical world. Every wall, as well as mirrored towers placed within the space, show you some aspect of, in this case, Van Gogh’s art. What you see is in continual motion, and on a huge scale. The scene variously is composed and decomposed segments of his works or several works at once or faces (or trees) from many of his paintings. You may see The Bedroom being created from original sketch to the final famous painting; and then see the outside of the room being inhabited by flowers and trees from his other paintings. The famous motion in his works is transformed into actual motion. Sound is an additional element that makes it all come even more alive.
The following video which I also published at the beginning of 2021 is from Vincent Van Gogh Art Alive – Atelier des Lumières (Paris, France) Starry Night. Each of these Immersive shows are different depending on which group produced the show.
The next video is another powerful tribute to Van Gogh whose life has captured people’s imagination like no other artist before or since. He never sold a painting while he was alive and was supported by his brother Theo even after Vincent declined mentally. The words and music of Starry, Starry Night, by Don McClean, are particularly poignant beside Vincent’s works of art.