On May 1st 2023, I visited Van Gogh The Immersive Experience as part of my birthday surprises and was given a special VIP ticket which includes the virtual reality room and a free A1 poster.
The two sections I like the most are:
- the VR experience
- the 360 degree digital show
Both these sections are definitely the major parts of the exhibition. At the entry there is a nice display of sunflowers and many portraits by Van Gogh. Then before the sensory experiences there are frames and wall displays introducing the artists and its work. There is even a real display of its famous bedroom painting with real furniture.
The 360 degree digital show is a sensory room with sounds and projections all around about Van Gogh paintings. It’s relaxing and is a place one might find hard to leave. The garden chairs, benches and floor sitting areas are giving relaxing vibes. The music and the digital display of Van Gogh arts are really worth the visit.
Not only you can enjoy the display but you can also do some art in a room dedicated to colour your own version of Van Gogh prints and then have it projected on the wall. However on the day we visited despite following the steps to have my art projected the projector did not work. Many others tried and it was not working for them neither. This is a bit disappointed but the exhibition itself was such a great experience that this problem with the projector did not ruin our entire experience.
What I did not like very much are the stairs, this is not really about the exhibition itself but more about the venue chosen for it. Those stairs are not very child friendly and can be especially hard for younger kids, also they can be a turn off for wheelchair and pram users. I don’t actually see how some people can even access some parts of this exhibition and that is not very inclusive. Maybe another building would have made this fantastic exhibition opened to a wider public.
Based on my experience I would definitely recommend this exhibition, it’s stunning, interactive and relaxing.
This looks like such an amazing exhibition to attend, and you are so very right to pick up the less inclusive aspects of this opportunity. I'm glad you were however able to attend such a great opportunity.