Immersive Vincent Van Gogh experience finally materializes in Seattle, but was it worth the wait?

After difficulties in securing a venue led to delays, the extensive Vincent Van Gogh exhibition in Seattle officially opened last week, allowing residents to step inside some of the greatest works by the Dutch post-impressionist painter – or just take a photo for them make social media.

Announced in spring, the long-awaited Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience has found its home in a renovated warehouse in the Sodo district. The warehouse has 44,000 square feet of exhibition space, although not all are the digital projections of Van Gogh’s paintings and sketches.

Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” is projected into the immersive experience.

Callie Craighead, Seattle PI

The exhibition begins with a tour of Van Gogh’s art to familiarize audiences with his technique and use of color. Biographical elements from Van Gogh’s life – including a proposed theory that he may have been color blind – are featured in a short documentary and various timelines throughout the exhibition. Throughout the exhibition, light projections will be cast on several statues, including a flower vase and a bust of Van Gogh himself. A large-format diorama of his “Bedroom in Arles” can also be seen.

While the start of the exhibition has a minor educational aspect, it is the 360 ​​degree video mapping experience on 9 foot walls that promises to be the event’s selling point. The digital projection takes about 35 minutes and features several thematic sequences, including an emphasis on Van Gogh’s multitude of bright yellow sunflower paintings, self-portraits, and Japanese-inspired art.

Instead of remaining static, there are several moving elements in each projection: crustaceans from his oil painting “Two Crabs” scurry across the walls and floors, while in “Starry Night Over the Rhone” a wooden boat gently rocks back and forth. The result is a dreamlike atmosphere in which visitors are invited to take a seat on benches, chairs or the floor and enjoy the experience.

A variety of Van Gogh’s sunflowers are projected into the immersive experience. Sunflowers are a main theme in over 11 of Van Gogh’s paintings.

Callie Craighead, Seattle PI

The digital projections are choreographed with orchestral music and other sounds – birds screeching, rain falling – that add to the ups and downs of each sequence. Audio commentary reads out prominent quotes from the artist, though they add little context to Van Gogh’s eventful life.

The experience lets you immerse yourself in the world of a painting and promises many Instagram-worthy photo opportunities, but has little to do with art, history or even the painter himself. While the purist in me mocks the rise of these multimedia exhibits that seem to be popping up everywhere, the experience provides an accessible way to interact with art. And luckily, the exhibit is less ostentatious than last year’s Selfie Museum.

The exhibition is also fraught with some controversy. While the opening was scheduled for a “secret location” in town in September, ticket holders were suddenly made aware last month that the experience had been postponed to October. With several Van Gogh exhibitions touring the country, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) ​​also previously posted a recommendation for the ticketing company hosting the event in Seattle, Fever, and there have been several unanswered complaints. The company has launched similar Van Gogh exhibitions in Atlanta, Dallas, Miami, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington DC with a total of 1.3 million visitors.

Several of Van Gogh’s Japanese-inspired prints are projected while blue irises can be seen on the floor.

Callie Craighead, Seattle PI

A unique feature of the exhibition is the ability for children to color in their own Van Gogh painting and project it on the wall using video mapping technology. Virtual reality experiences that immerse you in the life of Van Gogh are also available, but the VR experience costs on top of the ticket prices.

The exhibition is expected to run in Seattle for at least six months, according to organizers, and tickets are currently available for dates through January 2022. But don’t worry if you miss out on this immersive art experience: a second Van Gogh exhibition – called “Imagine Van Gogh: The Immersive Exhibition” – will also open in December at the Tacoma Armory.