The ongoing Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience event has captivated the hearts and minds of many of Londoners visiting the British capital’s East End.
Entertainment producer Exhibition Hub and entertainment platform Fever are hosting the event, which will take place from July until February at the old stable yard, Commercial 106, at The Old Truman Brewery near Shoreditch, London’s iconic hub for creative industries and small and medium enterprises.
Visitors can immerse in over 300 sketches, painting, and drawings from the renowned artist via digital wall projections using video mapping technologies.
The event also features a massive two-storey tall, floor-to-ceiling projection area and a further ‘A Day in the Life of the Artist’ virtual reality (VR) experience with Oculus headsets, which offers a multi-sensory journey across some of Van Gogh’s most famous works such as ‘Starry Night Over the Rhone River’ and ‘Vincent’s Bedroom at Arles’.
Further attractions include a drawing studio and additional art galleries exploring Van Gogh’s life and creative works.
Exhibition Hub Chief Celebrates Van Gogh’s Life, Works with VR
Mario Iacampo, Chief Executive of the Exhibition Hub, the world’s leading entertainment discovery platform, told XR Today virtual and augmented reality technologies could transform the art world.
Such immersive experiences, including VR, were an “antidote to the sensory drought many people across the world have felt during the COVID-19 pandemic”, he explained.
Mr Iacampo continued:
“VR/AR technologies can provide a fun and safe way to enjoy entertainment again, and a welcome reimmersion into art and culture. We know Londoners will love Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience; it’s visually stunning and a new, interactive way to explore the post-impressionist genius [of Van Gogh] and his work”
Mr Iacampo added the Exhibition Hub had selected Van Gogh’s works as he was “undoubtedly one of the most beloved” 19th-century painters who had produced over 900 paintings and 2,000 sketches in just nine years, from age 28 up until his death at 37.
He added the experience not only showcased some of Van Gogh’s most famous paintings, but also 700 letters written to his brother detailling his life story, which were brought to life in the virtual experience.
He said: “Through new and different means of displaying paintings and information, we hope that people will come away with a new sense of understanding and appreciation of this masterful artist”
The Immersive Experience allowed visitors the opportunity to “step into more than 400 of Van Gogh’s paintings, drawings, and sketches” with the “latest in [floor-to-ceiling] digital projection mapping”
Explaining further, Mr Iacampo added:
“The VR experience is one-of-a-kind. It’s an 11-minute seated VR experience with a headset, where visitors can learn about the artist’s life, including a recreation of his bedroom in Arles, an anamorphose of the Geisha, and a reproduction of the vestibule at the convent”
He concluded the Exhibition Hub had taken extra precautions to ensure the experience was COVID-safe by limiting the number of active, simultaneously used headsets, as well as disinfecting equipment, including chairs and VR headsets.
Visitors would also receive disposible eye masks to avoid contact between the skin and goggles, he said.
For more information, kindly visit the Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience website. Tickets are now on sale and start from £19.90 for adults and £11.50 for children.
Van Gogh Immersive Experience Follows London’s Augmented Gallery
The exhibition comes just weeks after London’s West End opened the Augmented Gallery in early May, which joined efforts from the Heart of London Business Alliance, National Gallery, Royal Academy of Arts, National Portrait Gallery, Sky Arts, and creative communications agency Premier.
The Augmented Gallery app allows visitors to view AR-powered classical and modern paintings and listen to commentary from famous people such as actor Stephen Mangan and comedian James Acaster.
