Van Gogh Comes to Life in Two Immersive Exhibitions

If you’ve never experienced a Van Gogh exhibition or are looking for an interactive way to introduce your children to art, head for one of two competing exhibitions, Immersive Van Gogh or Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience. The former is open simultaneously in 20 North American cities, including New York, San Francisco, Phoenix, Chicago, and Cleveland, while the latter is showing in New York, Philadelphia, Seattle, and seven other U.S. cities, as well as in Berlin; Antwerp, Belgium; and London, York, and Leicester, England.

The gargantuan Immersive Van Gogh production, which incorporates virtual reality, includes 500,000 cubic feet of projections and features an hour-long show, mannequins wearing Van Gogh–inspired clothing, and a bar with snacks “to Gogh.” 

The similarly styled Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience offers a 20,000 square-foot, 360-degree, 35-minute light and sound show in which the artist’s paintings are projected on four walls and the floor There is a coloring room for children, and VIP ticket holders experience a 15-minute virtual-reality show. 

Note: This story has been updated to incorporate information about a second exhibit.