Last June, two different Van Gogh exhibits opened in Manhattan.  These two unaffiliated experiences are not a typical art gallery, but rather a digitized immersive exhibit.  Both are highly collaborative phenomena between the animation, projections, music, and accentuation of the original artwork.  Many people are looking for escapism and beauty in post-lockdown art experiences. The new Van Gogh exhibits do just that, bringing New Yorkers into his artworks and life. 

“I’m really excited to see how art in the future evolves along with new technology,” said sophomore Holly Sternlicht.

 The exhibit, “Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience,” originated in Europe in 2017 and is now making its way to New York and other cities across the country.  With over six million visitors, this exhibition already has many five-star reviews from New Yorkers and tourists alike.  The main focus is the 20,000 square foot room, displaying projections that give an in-depth look into the artist’s life, sketches, painting secrets, and even his handwriting.  In addition, there is an interactive portion to recreate one of Van Gogh’s artworks, then an optional virtual reality segment that takes visitors through a day in his life.  The experience is about an hour long, and incorporates impressive large-scale video and mapping technology. 

“The exhibit is designed amazingly for seeing new and creative ways to view the paintings and connect with the art,” said freshman Helena Franchetti.

Van Gogh Exhibit New York City, the second exhibit, focuses on a similar idea.  To help design this space, Immersive Van Gogh joined forces with designer David Korins, best known for his set design on musicals Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen.

Moreover, this exhibition is receiving a ton of media attention due to its appearance on the popular Netflix show Emily in Paris.  

“The immersive art installation takes a deep dive inside the mind and works of Van Gogh and brings them to life in a whole new way.  It was the most incredible way to connect to the iconic paintings.” said lead actress Lily Collins in an article from ET Canada. 

The massive location, just a quick walk from Chinatown, is divided into three large halls, each filled with lifelike projections.  Some unique additions to this experience include a look into Van Gogh’s bedroom and personalized letters “from” him.  Another exclusive feature is the immersive yoga they offer, which includes a 35-minute yoga class followed by 25 minutes to view the exhibit. 

After a year of only being able to view art digitally, it’s interesting that the hottest exhibits in New York City are technologically based. Rather than huddling around a small piece of artwork in a museum, technology has enabled us to experience the art in more immersive ways. The exhibit would cost $49.99