‘Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience’ begins this weekend in Sarasota

Emily Leinfuss
·3 min read
“Beyond Van Gogh” moves its audience through three rooms.
“Beyond Van Gogh” moves its audience through three rooms.

Editor's Note: The Herald-Tribune will have a review of “Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience" online at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 5 and in print the following day.

With no less than five different immersive Van Gogh exhibitions now circulating throughout the U.S., there has been some confusion among fans interested in the artist’s work.

The Better Business Bureau even issued a warning in 2021 that “the soundalike names” of the exhibitions were causing frustration – especially for “those who bought tickets to one event, only to realize it was not the one they wanted.”

That’s why, from the start, the creators of “Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience" – which opened March 4 In the East District of University Town Center – wanted to make the 19th-century artist’s life and work relevant and accessible to people in the here and now, said Fanny Curtat, an art historian and consultant for “Beyond Van Gogh’s” creative team at Normal Studio in Montréal.

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More: Immersive ‘Beyond Van Gogh’ exhibit sets Sarasota dates and location

To accomplish this, “Beyond Van Gogh” was structured into three “rooms” that segue fluidly into each other, all contained within one overarching structure.

“Beyond Van Gogh,” during a recent run in Miami. The exhibit is one of multiple immersive experiences centered on the art and life of Vincent Van Gogh that are touring the United States right now.
“Beyond Van Gogh,” during a recent run in Miami. The exhibit is one of multiple immersive experiences centered on the art and life of Vincent Van Gogh that are touring the United States right now.

Introduction Hall is a static space with textual information about the artist and his work. Here, audiences will begin to get a sense of how the exhibition wants viewers to see through the art to the man behind it. “In the first room, ‘beyond’ means getting audiences to look beyond the mythic dark legend to the actual man,” said Curtat.

“Van Gogh’s notoriety comes from all the darkness in his life: the poverty, the madness, the ear cutting. But what you see when you look at ‘Starry Night’ and his sunflower paintings is beauty and light. That’s what Van Gogh wanted to show with his art,” she said.

Art historians have a good understanding of Van Gogh because “there is a treasure trove of information and insight from his 18-year correspondence with his brother Theo,” explained Curtat. “Our creators use those letters and their text to make a connection between this 19th century artist and a 21st century audience,” she added.

Next is the Waterfall Room, which was specifically designed to be “a portal to prepare people, physiologically, for the conceptual experience of the third room,” said Curtat. Here, music starts playing as animated projections flow down the walls and onto the floor. Text emerges in Dutch, English, and French – the three languages found in Van Gogh’s writing. The visuals are inspired by Van Gogh but were created by the animators at Normal Studio.

One thing that sets “Beyond Van Gogh” apart from similar exhibits currently touring the country is the music, which includes classical compositions and jazz as well as popular tunes by such artists as Don McLean and Paul Simon.
One thing that sets “Beyond Van Gogh” apart from similar exhibits currently touring the country is the music, which includes classical compositions and jazz as well as popular tunes by such artists as Don McLean and Paul Simon.

The third and final room is the immersive experience, where the audience really goes “beyond the object, which is the frame and the image, to enter the paintings,” said Curtat. “We’re truly adding another dimension; it’s not a traditional museum experience.”

Entirely dedicated to Van Gogh’s work, the immersive area features more than 300 images, plus text and narrative that cycle in a 35-minute loop (the entire exhibition takes about an hour). Audiences can enter at any time and move, walk or twirl around the space, examining projections from all angles including up and around a small mound built into the center of the room.

A wide range of music – from classical to popular works from Miles Davis, Paul Simon, Don McLean and more – adds to the multisensory immersive experience as it further bridges that gap between then and now.

“Some other experiences have chosen to put more period-appropriate music,” Curtat noted. “But music from many different genres and periods of time helps our audiences connect with the timelessness of Van Gogh’s life and work.”

‘Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience’

March 4 - April 24. Sunday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Final entry 1 hour before closing. East District at University Town Center, 195 University Town Center Drive, Sarasota. Find more information at vangoghsarasota.com.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: ‘Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience’ to open in Sarasota