Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience is a 360º digital art exhibition in London that invites you to step into the universe of the Dutch genius, Vincent van Gogh. It is brought to Londoners by the organisers of a collection of widely successful exhibitions present in cities across Europe, Asia and the Americas.

Have you ever dreamt of stepping into a painting? I know it sounds absurd. But this show can definitely blow your mind.

 

 

Upon arrival, giant sunflowers are visible along the corridor. It is literally the first photo wall, and not the last. Go through the corridor to the ticket desk, have some nice tea tasters, then you will find the introduction about the immersive experience.

 

There are three parts.

The first part is his works shown in a virtual museum, which basically means no real works. Of course, real works are not what you come for. Instead, you will want to immerse yourself to the incomparable universe of Van Gogh. The second part is about colour and light. Projections create a magical world which is so refreshing with animated crows, leaves, birds and butterflies. The third part is about the final chapter of the artist’s life. Different ambient styles and sound create the dark and murky atmosphere to reflect his final struggle.

Now let me show you some highlights of the experience.

Following the directions and climbing some stairs, I found myself in a large room. There were many printed works on the wall.

 

 

A screening about the vases in his painting was very impressive with beautiful transitions and effects. I watched it twice, once stood and once sat. Apart from that, I quite enjoyed “Bedroom at Arles”. The painting itself was finished in October 1888, when Van Gogh lived there and built his first studio. He always found inspiration from immediate surroundings.

Now imagine you sitting there, like inside the painting. Wow~

 

 

After finishing the first room, I stepped down to the second part – the VR experience. Depending on your ticket type, VIP or not, you may have to pay extra for this. My advice is: pay. This is probably the best, and also the most touching part of the whole experience.

I cannot show you the pictures as it is VR through the goggle. Yet I can give you some spoilers about the experience. It started with the bedroom, while VR reconstructed the village. I woke up as Van Gogh, left my room and went down to the village centre. On the way, the view was breathtaking. I met the subjects in my paintings, and walked past a field. Day turned night, a big moon was ahead, tall trees on each side of the road. Okay, I probably should stop here. Some very wonderful things will happen then…

Say goodbye to the magical VR world, and welcome back to the physical space. In the last part, I and many other visitors gathered in a big hall. This is it! 

(A short video about this part was uploaded to our Instagram @JUZIARTS)

 

 

Van Gogh is one of the greatest artistic geniuses of the 19th century, and this is definitely an awe-inspiring journey to get closer to him. This impactful experience has actually already thrilled visitors in Naples, Italy, Brussels, Belgium. And it is time for you to feel the shift in reality as you dive deep into the world created by Van Gogh’s brush strokes.