Immersive Van Gogh Experiences Blooming Across the United States Like Sunflowers

Immersive van Gogh experiences are blooming like sunflowers, and five traveling shows can be seen in 13 cities across the United States. These mesmerizing experiences were made popular first in Europe over a decade ago, and then again a year ago when Massimiliano Siccardi’s (show information below) exhibition was featured on Emily in Paris on Netflix.

Imagine van Gogh, The Original Exhibition © Image Totale, 2020

These exhibitions turn walls and floors of the space into a van Gogh dream world. Socially distanced guests (with the use of strategically placed circles) wearing masks walk through rooms that appeal not just to the eyes, but many shows entice all the senses. Some include smells of cypress, cedar, and sandalwood, while others employ virtual reality headsets to dive even deeper into the experience. Paint strokes dance to an accompanying score. Colors ignite the imagination, and the intricacy of being inside van Gogh’s famous works, such as Sunflowers (1888) and Starry Night (1889), has moved viewers to tears.

Immersive Van Gogh

This exhibition featured in Emily in Paris was designed by Massimiliano Siccardi. It features more than 500,000 cubic feet of projections, 60,600 frames of video, and over 90 million pixels. The exhibition lasts one hour and works including The Potato Eaters (1885), Starry Night (1889), Sunflowers (1888), and The Bedroom (1889). The large-scale digital animations are set to original songs composed by Italian multimedia composer Luca Longobardi.

“Siccardi redesigns the experience to fit with the architecture of the space holding the exhibition and tries to tell the story following a loose stream of consciousness that takes visitors through a recreation of van Gogh’s perspective using large images and animations,” said Corey Ross, a producer of the exhibition.

Van Gogh Photosession © Immersive Van Gogh, 2021

Cities include Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Phoenix, Charlotte, Houston, and Las Vegas.

For more information and to purchase tickets: Immersive Van Gogh NYC

Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience

It is 20,000 square feet of light and sound spectacularly featuring two-story projections of the artist’s most compelling works. It takes about 60 to 75 minutes for the full experience. VIP access is also available, which allows visitors to experience an additional virtual reality component, a 10-minute journey through a day in van Gogh’s life that places you in the center of his most personal paintings. (Equipment will be disinfected after each use.)

This exhibition is run in partnership with two immersive experience companies: Exhibition Hub and Fever, which is known for creating the Stranger Things: The Drive-Into Experience in Los Angeles.

Cities include Atlanta, New York City, Dallas, Houston, Washington D.C., Miami, Philadelphia, Boston, and Seattle.

For more information: Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience

To purchase tickets: Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience- Official Tickets

Van Gogh Alive

This 40-minute show features 3,000 moving van Gogh images, including Sunflowers (1888) and Starry Night (1889), and is set to a classical music score. Created by the Melbourne, Australia–based Grande Experiences.

It is currently on display at the Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, and extended from April 11 to June 13. Then, it will head to Lume Indianapolis, where it will be the first permanent digital art exhibit space in the United States.

© Van Gogh Alive, Dali Museum

For more information or to purchase tickets at the Dalí Museum: Van Gogh Alive

For more information at the Lume Indianapolis (Ticket sales TBD): THE LUME Indianapolis

Beyond Van Gogh: An Immersive Experience

This exhibition features van Gogh’s narration spoken over a symphonic score, including 300 of his masterpieces: Starry Night (1889), Sunflowers(1888), and Café Terrace at Night (1888).

© Beyond Van Gogh, Miami

April 15–July 11, 2021

Ice Palace Studios, Miami, Florida

For more information and to purchase tickets: Van Gogh Miami - Van Gogh Miami

Imagine Van Gogh: The Immersive Exhibition

More than 200 works of van Gogh are projected in “Image Totale.” This means that the viewer is guided by their senses rather than knowledge which allows them to be completely immersed in the experience without being aware of the technical performance of the exhibition. The art pieces leap out of their frames set to the music of Saint-Saëns, Mozart, and Bach. Plunged into the darkness with only the unique light of the paintings to guide the way, each visitor experiences a personal approach to the works’ presentation. Free to choose their own path, the visitor-turned-creator can look in many directions without the imposition of time.

December 21, 2021–February 20, 2022

SoWa Power Station, Boston, MA

For more information: Imagine Van Gogh Boston.

To purchase tickets: Imagine Van Gogh Boston- Tickets.