By the numbers, the exhibit boasts 90,000,000 pixels and 60,600 frames of video over 500,000 cubic feet of projections.
Prior to our arrival at Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience in Columbus, Ohio, we knew that and very little else. We knew our pre-purchased, electronic tickets for the timed entry allowed for an hour. And we knew, thanks to the event title, we’d literally be immersed in the works of Vincent Van Gogh.
When my husband and I arrived at our scheduled time, and before we entered the venue, a staff member greeted us. She explained that the 35-minute show, which played on a loop, was already in progress, but she encouraged us to go ahead and enter. She advised we could remain after the credits ran and the show resumed, which is what we did.
As she drew aside the curtains, we proceeded into the darkened, rectangular-shaped room to discover colorful images projected on all of the walls and on the floor. And on us.
Illuminated rings easily six feet apart accented the floor. While several of the circles contained benches, some did not. People rested both on the benches and within the circles on the floor. We located an unoccupied bench in the corner to our right and sat down.
For the first several minutes, we acclimated ourselves to the setting. Initially knowing where to focus our attention was difficult. Images covered the wall immediately in front of us, so allowing our gaze to remain fixed there was tempting.
However, a quick glance in either direction revealed the dramatic effect of the images completely around the room. Even in the center of the room, mirrors covered the columns, creating additional images.
Before us, projections combined Van Gogh’s work, including Starry Night Over the Rhone River, Vincent’s Bedroom at Arles, The Potato Eaters, Sunflowers and many more with that of projection artist Massimiliano Siccardi. The strokes of those paintings curled around us in shades of black, of deep blue and of brilliant amber. A playlist compiled by composer Luca Longobardi complemented, even enhanced, the story.
As the show progressed, others entered and either secured open benches or open circles. Some left through the designated exit. And as did many others, we remained until the credits rolled a second time.
Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience is scheduled to be at Lighthouse ArtSpace Columbus through February 27. Tickets, which should be secured in advance, are on sale at www.columbusvangogh.com. The exhibit will make its way to Cincinnati in June of this year at a location yet to be announced. Tickets for that show are already available at www.vangoghexpo.com.
(Note: Marjorie Appelman is an English, communications and journalism teacher at Mason County High School and co-founder of the travel blog, Tales from the Trip, which is on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. She can be reached at marj.appelman@gmail.com.)
Leave a Reply