You may have seen Van Gogh paintings before, but now you can practically dive into one of his masterpieces. After what has seemed like a long wait, the renowned Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience has just opened its doors. Tickets are on sale, but they’re going fast, which is no surprise. The exhibition has garnered plenty of attention and praise as it has travelled across the globe, and now it has finally landed in Belfast’s Carlisle Memorial Church. The iconic art of the Dutch painter will be brought to life at an immersive exhibition, allowing you to experience his wondrous work in an entirely new way, thanks to the use of cutting-edge projection mapping, virtual reality and a 360-degree digital show.
Strolling in through the doors of this exhibition will be like stumbling into a painted wonderland, where, instead of Cheshire cats and mad hatters, it’s the beautiful creations of Van Gogh that materialise in front of your eyes: boats bobbing on rippled water illuminated by orb-like stars, almond blossoms swaying in a gentle breeze and crows flying across dappled blue skies. There’s no magic at play here, just incredible digital technology that injects life and movement into the 19th-century pieces.
Be sure to bring the kids along too!
Not only will they get to learn all about the post-impressionist painter through engaging interactives and impressive 3D re-creations, but any aspiring young artists will also have the opportunity to pick up some crayons and create their own masterpieces, which we’re sure will rival the works of Van Gogh himself.
The multi-sensory exhibit – which is taking place in a central Belfast venue that’s soon to be announced – also includes a hyper-realistic VR experience, giving guests the chance to slip on a headset and follow in the footsteps of Van Gogh in ‘A Day in the Life of an Artist in Arles, France’. Wander along twisting cobblestone streets and through butter-yellow wheat fields on a ten-minute virtual exploration; discovering the colourful realms of paintings such as Starry Night over the Rhone River and Vincent’s bedroom at Arles.
Don’t just take our word for it. Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience has already won hearts in London, Naples, Brussels, Beijing and many more cities around the world, sending over 2 million people on a mesmerising multisensory journey.