Monday, November 15, 2021

Immersive van Gogh Exhibit


My husband and I attended the Immersive van Gogh Exhibit in Denver in October.  As a lifelong fan of Vincent van Gogh's artwork, I was excited when I learned this exhibit was coming locally after premiering in France and subsequently touring in many US cities. 

(All photos will enlarge if clicked on)



For 35 minutes many of the famous paintings of van Gogh, through various stages of the artist's life, are projected on large screens in a show designed and conceived by Massimiliano Siccardi, with a soundtrack by Luca Longobardi, who both pioneered immersive digital art experiences in France. There were 500,000 cubic feet of projections, 60,600 frames of video, and 90,000,000 pixels of light and color that make up the show.





The venue we attended had two large rooms with surround screens that simultaneously played the same videos. There were benches and lighted rings on the floor in which to sit. The video not only filled the screens but also spilled down onto the floor and the audience to give an immersive experience.




The show began with an array of  Vincent van Gogh's early works. You can click on his name to learn more about his life and paintings.





Then the exhibit moved on to his brighter, more impressionistic paintings that most people are familiar with.




It really felt as if the paintings became a part of us.




In this video, the irises grew up from the ground to finally become his famous painting.



Vincent van Gogh's room in Arles begins to 
come alive piece by piece.




Street scenes light up...




..movement and color explode on the screen all accompanied by dramatic music.

If you'd like to see some short videos I took during the exhibit you can see them on my Mille Fiori Favoriti Facebook page at this link.






In the sequence above you can see how "Starry Night" begins to evolve...




...and as more and more of the painting begins to reveal itself we become part of it!




"Wheat Field With Crows" was one of Vincent's last paintings. It is a dramatic expression of his mind gone mad and sadly his impending suicide at age 37 in 1890.



An array of self-portraits.




We really enjoyed the exhibit and sat through it two times to see things we may have missed the first time.  My only complaint was that I liked it so much that I wished it were even longer in length! I could have sat through it many more hours.  It made me appreciate Vincent van Gogh's work in a completely new and unforgettable way.

Are you a fan of Vincent van Gogh and have you seen this immersive exhibit in your town? I'd love to know what you thought of it.

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47 comments:

Cathy Kennedy said...

What a fun experience!

Laura | Everyday Edits said...

Hi Pat,

I love this post. And I loved that you added the link to his bio. What a story. I did not remember Van Gogh was not a commercial success until after his death.
Great post! Happy Thanksgiving. All my kids will be here in Castle Rock for Thanksgiving and my sister from Knoxville.

Love reading your posts about our great state! laura in Colorado

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

That looks amazing. I had seen promotions for it, but have not had one near enough to go to.

William Kendall said...

It was here as well. I enjoyed it and cursed my mobile battery, which gave out when I arrived.

Carol @Comfort Spring Station said...

I would love to be immersed in Van Gogh.

Jackie McGuinness said...

We saw this earlier this summer in Toronto and it was great.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

I've never heard of this but it is breathtaking! WOW! I would love to see it...and be a part of it! Hugs!

Lorrie said...

It looks like such a great show. I'm a huge fan of VVG, and have visited a number of places where he painted in France. This exhibit was in Vancouver, but with Covid, we didn't get over to see it. Hopefully we will one day. Thanks for the fantastic photos and videos.

Janice said...

My favorite artist. Saw some of his original works in Arls. Thanks for sharing.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

I'd love to see something like that!

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

I've heard about it. A lot of people are not happy about it but I would love to see it. Why not use 21st century technology to show his work in a new way?? You took some amazing photos of it.

Lee@A Guide to Northeastern Gardening said...

Thank you so much for sharing this. I wanted to go see this exhibit in NYC but was unable to get there, so this is the next best thing. Your captures are so amazing and I get this sense of being there, well virtually! Thank you for stopping by my blog and commenting so that we could connect!

Crafty Green Poet said...

that looks like an amazing experience!

Lydia C. Lee said...

We have that here too at the moment. I think in Melbourne - it was the first thing I went to after last year's lockdown...#ThruMyLens

Linda said...

I loved this post! The exhibit is in Dallas now and I hope I haven't waited too long to go see it!

eileeninmd said...

Hello,

What a cool exhibit! I have always loved Starry night! The Street scenes are neat too. Thanks for sharing the experience. Have a happy day and happy new week!

Hena Tayeb said...

Oh wow.. we were just there last week. It was incredible.

ellen b. said...

So cool! Thanks for sharing these images!

Fun60 said...

I saw this last Monday in London. I loved it as like you I really love Van Gogh's work.

Tom said...

...I'm glad that you were able to enjoy this exhibit, I knew that it was in Toronto.

Handmade in Israel said...

It looks wonderful! I saw something similar here a few months ago - "Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience" - but it looks like a slightly different format to yours. Glad we both enjoyed :)

stevebethere said...

I am speechless these are amazing and so colourful good post :-)

Have an artistictastic week 👍

margi said...

I'd love to see something like that! It looks amazing!

colleen said...

You got some great shots! What a photo-op. Here's mine http://www.looseleafnotes.com/2021/08/ive-always-wanted-to-walk-into-a-painting-and-live-there/

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

Oh Pat, this exhibit is wonderful. Such an inovative way to feature his work. Van Gough's work surrounding you is incredible. Have a happy week.

Veronica Lee said...

I would absolutely enjoy the experience - I am a HUGE Van Gogh fan!

Thanks for sharing this, Pat!

Shiju Sugunan said...

These look amazing! I wish I could visit the place. You got some very interesting pics!

My latest post:
https://craniumbolts.blogspot.com/2021/11/trip-to-saul-kere-lake.html

Joanne said...

I have been wanting to see this traveling exhibit so much! It looks amazing.

Unknown said...

What a wonderful experience! Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed the post and hope I get the opportunity to see this sometime. Beth J from Iowa

carol l mckenna said...

Awesome photos and what an experience for you ~ Xo ~ Van Gogh is a favorite ~ Xo

Living in the moment,

A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)

NCSue said...

Something came up so I missed the opportunity to see this when it was nearby, but it looks grand!
Thanks for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2021/11/this-is-all-ill-say-about-that.html

Linda said...

It looks marvelous!

EricaSta said...

Indeed, I'm a great, great fan of van Gogh. Found this link https://www.vangogh-alive.de/ ... there is a exhibition nearby in Munich.

Thank you for sharing.

Lowcarb team member said...

Oh I am so envious Pat :)
This looks fabulous, I would love to go.
Your photographs and narration are perfect, thank you.

All the best Jan

Angie said...

Pat - I think I learned about this exhibit from another blogger some time ago, and it is wonderful to see that it is making the rounds ... I doubt it will come anywhere close to our little burg, so I am pleased to get to witness it through you! Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday!

dee Nambiar said...

How beautiful. I've been wanting to go see this. I can imagine what an experience this must have been. I'm sure you didn't want to leave there.

Rajani Rehana said...

Super blog

Jeanie said...

When I saw the Klimt immersive in Paris three years ago, I thought "Van Gogh would be such a natural for this." And I can see that it is. It was in Michigan (Detroit) and I didn't see it (partly because I didn't want to ruin my joy of the Klimt) but they say it will be back in February and I might have to go. It is absolutely gorgeous and your photos capture it in wonderful detail. (Don't you love when it's on the floor?) This really is a stunning post. Thanks, Pat.

Dixie @ Arranged Words said...

What a wonderful show. I do hope it comes this way!

Spare Parts and Pics said...

That looks amazing! I think I would really enjoy it.

Jim said...

Great shots.

Sharon Wagner said...

The artful immersion does seem fun, like painterly Christmas lights. Groovy.

Amy Johnson said...

You're the second blogger I know who went to this and did a post about it. YES! I would love to go. Unfortunately the closest big city I live near is Minneapolis and I would never go there. So I will have to live the experience through all of you! Thanks for sharing.

NatureFootstep said...

I´m not a fan of Van Gogh but this exhibition seems to have been very ineresting :)

Magical Mystical Teacher said...

Now you've made me want to see the exhibit more than ever!

Rambling Woods said...

I have always been a fan...

csuhpat1 said...

So very beautiful. Thanks for sharing.