‘Beyond van Gogh' has plenty of buzz and is coming to Rochester at Dome Arena Feb. 4
An art exhibit that allows visitors not just to view paintings of a 19th-century master — but to step into them — is coming to Rochester.
“Beyond van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” is a traveling art museum that uses more than 300 of the creator’s iconic works, including Sunflowers and The Starry Night, to surround guests in a 360-degree experience. The exhibit planners announced this week that "Beyond Van Gogh" will be set up at the Dome Arena, beginning Feb. 4. Its run is now scheduled through March 20.
The exhibit arrived at Buffalo’s Eastern Hills Mall Aug. 20 and was supposed to close on Oct. 3, but popular demand extended its run through late November, and it is reopening for another one Dec. 17.
Promoters announced the Rochester tour stop on social media Dec. 1. The responses were immediate; commenters wanted to know when the show would arrive here and where.
According to the website, prices start at $42.99 for adults and $27.99 for children, plus ticketing fees.
Tickets are now on sale at vangoghrochester.com.
Plenty of buzz already
When the Rochester visit of the exhibit was announced earlier this month, it was done without specific details but if the goal in withholding information was to generate buzz, “Beyond van Gogh” already has plenty. Demand for tickets has been high in every city it has visited. Many Rochesterians have traveled to Buffalo for the show, in which animated versions of the artist's works are projected onto the floors, walls and 35-foot high ceilings of a 35,000-square-foot mobile museum, amid a symphonic and spoken-word soundtrack, the Buffalo News reported.
One of those people is Miriam Zinter of Brighton. She and her mother, Jackie Lynch, went to Buffalo to see "Beyond van Gogh" in mid-October.
Lynch is an artist herself, Zinter said. "Her standards are always high for everything, but when it comes to art, she is quite the discerning individual."
When they returned home, "My husband said, 'Did Jackie Lynch like it?' And I said, 'Jackie Lynch loved it.' She wanted to go back again."
So does Zinter, and she plans to when "Beyond van Gogh" comes here, adding that besides being an amazing sensory experience, it taught her a lot.
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More than 'mere paintings'
Everybody knows The Starry Night, she said, and about van Gogh's mental health struggles, but she did not know that the painting was inspired by his view from a small window in an asylum cell.
"To be able to find beauty in something like that is very inspiring," Zinter said.
The show also brought home the idea that van Gogh's works, many of which featured his neighbors and people from his village, are more than mere paintings. "You just feel this connection to the artist and the people he associated with and their timeframe," she said. "It’s absolutely lovely."
The immersive digital exhibit — one of several such touring van Gogh shows — was created by French-Canadian creative director Mathieu St-Arnaud and his team at Montreal’s Normal Studio.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, admissions will be timed to reduce congestion. The show is wheelchair-accessible, and Zinter noted that the setup is very open and easy to navigate.
People will be allowed to take pictures but not shoot video, and flash and professional photography is prohibited.
Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers general assignments. Send story tips to mgreenwo@rocheste.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @MarciaGreenwood.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Beyond van Gogh: The Immersive Experience coming to Rochester Feb. 4
