Even though it doesn’t open until March 18, the digital art exhibition that brings Vincent van Gogh’s masterpieces to life has already extended its West Coast run due to overwhelming popular demand.
Following several weeks of record-breaking advance ticket sales after the show was announced in December, organizers prolonged Immersive Van Gogh through September 6, 2021, at San Francisco’s SVN West. (The exhibition was originally slated to run through May 31 at the same venue.) Lighthouse Immersive, the company behind the digital art production, also shared that a new block of tickets for the exhibition will go on sale Saturday, January 16, at 10 a.m. (PST).
Designed by the same team of artists behind similar exhibitions at the Atelier des Lumières in Paris, Immersive Van Gogh transports viewers into the world of the legendary Dutch painter whose work—notable for its bold colors and expressive brushwork—majorly influenced 20th-century art.
While Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh (1853–1890) had a major influence on 20th-century art, the post-impressionist painter was virtually unknown throughout his life.
Courtesy of Immersive Van Gogh
More than 500,000 cubic feet of projections will illuminate iconic paintings from van Gogh’s lifetime catalog of more than 2,000 works, which ranged from self-portraits and still lifes to surreal depictions of natural landscapes. The immersive digital art exhibit evokes the post-impressionist artist’s “highly emotional and chaotic inner consciousness through art, light, music, movement, and imagination” according to a press release. It includes kaleidoscopic projections of world-renowned paintings such as Nuit étoilée (Starry Night, 1889), Les Tournesols (Sunflowers, 1888), and La Chambre à coucher (The Bedroom, 1889).
Of course, COVID-19 precautions will be prioritized at the walk-through exhibit in San Francisco’s SVN West (formerly the Fillmore West concert hall, host to famed psychedelic rock shows from the Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin during the late ’60s). In line with local guidelines, admission will be limited and all guests will be required to wear a face mask throughout their visit to the exhibition. There will also be a touchless ticket-taking system, temperature checks upon arrival, and hand sanitizer stations throughout the venue. Digitally projected “social distancing circles” on the gallery floors will also help ensure appropriate spacing, organizers say.
Immersive Van Gogh debuted in July 2020 in Toronto, where during its first two months the exhibit surpassed Ticketmaster’s worldwide ticket sales for live cultural events, the ticketing platform said in a press release. Before Immersive Van Gogh debuts in San Francisco, the exhibit will premiere at Lighthouse ArtSpace Chicago. (The Chicago exhibition is slated to run from February 11 through May 31, 2021.)
Another multi-sensory van Gogh exhibition—this one from Australia-based Grande Experiences—is set to become a permanent fixture at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields in June 2021.
Digitally projected “social distancing circles” on the gallery floors will help ensure appropriate spacing at the digital art exhibit, according to organizers.
Courtesy of Immersive Van Gogh
Immersive digital art exhibitions have steadily emerged as a lasting trend over the past few years, and the excitement surrouding these upcoming showcases are a sign of continued enthusiasm. “The reception we have received has been enthusiastic and welcoming,” Lighthouse Immersive coproducer Corey Ross said in a press release about the San Francisco exhibit. “Despite the setbacks and challenges of COVID-19 this past year, one thing is clear—the arts will be coming back stronger than ever in 2021!”
Immersive Van Gogh runs from March 18 through September 6, 2021, at San Francisco’s SVN West. The new batch of tickets goes on sale January 16, 2021, at 10 a.m. (PST) on vangoghsf.com. Prices start at $39.99 ($24.99 for children 16 or younger), with VIP and flexible tickets available in addition to the standard timed ticket options.
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