Planning to see Van Gogh Immersive Experience London? Here’s all the information that you need and there’s also a full video at the end of this post 😉
After massive success in cities like New York and Naples, Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience has finally arrived in the UK.
Featuring exquisite storytelling and cutting-edge technology, this unparalleled art exhibition takes visitors to the world of Vincent van Gogh, one of the greatest artists of all time.
You’ll step into the incomparable universe of the Dutch genius, immerse yourself in the artist’s masterpieces in an awe-inspiring 360-degree digital show with sound effects, and travel through his sources of inspiration in Arles, France, in a one-of-a-kind Virtual Reality experience.
You’ll also learn about Van Gogh’s tragic life and have the chance to unleash the painter inside you by colouring a template of one of the many Van Gogh classic paintings.
I visited the Van Gogh Immersive Experience London in the middle of August and had a fantastic time. If you’re planning to visit it, keep on reading to find out what to expect of this exhibition.
* Affiliate disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning I earn a small fee if you click through and make a purchase. There is never any additional cost to you, and I use some of these earnings for my monthly charitable donations.
Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience – London
The Venue
The venue chosen by the organizers, Exhibition Hub & Fever, is a stunning former 19th-century stable building, opposite the famous Old Spitalfields Market.
At over 17,000 sq. ft, the 3-storey building is centred around a triple-height atrium and preserves many original features including exposed brickwork, timber beams, a beautiful arch entrance and stable areas.
Due to the building’s listing constraints, only the first floor is wheelchair accessible. It is not accessible for pushchairs & prams and doesn’t have baby changing facilities.
How to get to Van Gogh Immersive Experience
The venue is easily reachable by bus, tube, overground, train and within walking distance from Liverpool Street, Aldgate, Aldgate East, and Shoreditch High Street stations.
Liverpool Street and Aldgate East are the nearest tube stations to Van Gogh Immersive Experience, just 8min walk.
From Liverpool Street Station, take the National Rail exit, up the escalator, and turn left until Primrose St. Turn right and follow this street, which will become Lamb Street. After around an 8min-walk, you will see the venue.
From Aldgate East Station, take Exit 2 and turn left on Commercial Street. After about a 7min-walk you’ll arrive at the Van Gogh Immersive Experience.
The Exhibition
Spread out over three floors, Van Gogh Immersive Experience London is divided into four different parts.
Upon entering the building, visitors pass through an enchanting hall decorated with huge sunflowers, followed by the reception, a set of Van Gogh’s self-portraits and a stairway leading to the first floor.
On the first floor is where you can get familiar with the interesting yet tormented life of Vincent van Gogh.
There are wall texts and panels, including one with the artist’s timeline, that chronicle his life, You’ll discover his religious devotion, sources of inspiration, passion for nature, health problems, addiction to tobacco and alcohol, etc.
“I put my heart and my soul into my work, and have lost my mind in the process.“
Vincent Van Gogh
There are also replicas of some of Van Gogh’s masterpieces, a short video about his unique style, a recreation of his room in Arles and the vestibule where he stayed at the Saint-Paul de Mausole Asylum during the last year of his life.
On the middle floor, there’s a room dedicated to the Colour & Post activity, and another for the VR Experience.
On the ground floor is the highlight of the exhibition, the immersive experience, and the gift shop.
About the Immersive Experience
The Van Gogh Immersive Experience is meant to both show the depth of the artist’s art and as well as his development in the various subject that he studied.
The experience incorporates more than 200 of his works, divided into three different parts, projected on 15,000 sq. ft screens accompanied by spectacular classical music.
The first part, “His works”, it’s introduced the discovery of the painting by the artist, his studies, the search for his style, and the correspondences with his brother Théo, through visual images and texts in an old parchment graphic style.
In part II, “Complete immersion”, visitors can see what the environment could have looked like before becoming a Van Gogh painting and enjoy the scene at their ease.
All present elements come to life accompanied by sound effects and music. There are animated crows, bucolic and idyllic sceneries, dozens of sunflowers emerging from the ground, etc.
In the final phase of the experience, “The convent”, visitors are presented with very different ambient styles and sound, that conveys a dark and murky atmosphere reflecting the final chapter of Van Gogh’s life.
The VR Experience
In this exceptional activity, visitors take a voyage to Arles, France, in a 3D realistic style, to discover the setting and landscape that inspired eight of Van Gogh’s paintings.
The aim of this experience is to allow visitors to continue their learning of Vincent van Gogh and to deepen the discovery of his world through his works while becoming aware of the context in which the painter was at the time of his inspiration.
The VR Experience is included on the VIP ticket; however, you can purchase your ticket there for £5.
“If you truly love Nature, you will find beauty everywhere.“
Vincent van Gogh
Colour & Post – A fun family activity
In this creative workshop, children and adults alike can colour one of Van Gogh’s iconic paintings using a colouring template and crayons.
You can paint The Starry Night, one of his self-portraits, The Bedroom, Vase with 12 Sunflowers, etc, with your own artistic style and post your work on a wall.
COVID Safety Measures
- Controlled number of visitors (200 simultaneous visitors in 14,000 sq ft).
- Mandatory use of face masks inside the exhibition.
- Marks on the ground.
- A clear path with directions.
- Free dispensers of hand sanitiser.
- A limited number of headsets are used simultaneously during the VR experience.
- Goggles are fully disinfected after each use and each visitor receives a disposable mask for the eyes.
Practical Info
- Date: from July 2021 to April 2023
- Opening hours (time slots available every half hour):
- Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday: 10 am – 8 pm
- Saturday, Sunday & Holidays: 9 am – 10 pm
- Duration: The visit will take around 60 to 75 minutes
- Age requirement: All ages! Free entry for children under 4 years old
- Price: Adult £25.40; Child (2 to 12) £16.40
- Location: 106 Commercial Street, Spitalfields
Visiting the Van Gogh Immersive Experience London – Review
After visiting the Gustav Klimt Exhibition at Ateliers des Lumièries in Paris in 2018, I became fascinated with this new way of enjoying art.
When I found out that Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience was coming to London, I was looking forward to seeing it.
I got the VIP ticket online, which includes entry to the exhibition, online access to The Van Gogh Studio, entry to the VR experience with skip-the-line + a poster, and headed to the venue.
From the entrance, you can already feel that you’re entering Van Gogh’s world. A lovely, and indeed Instagrammable, hall with sunflowers and a self-portrait of the artist at the end welcomes you.
On the ground floor, 14 other self-portraits and panels explain the chronological order of the Immersive Experience. I recommend that you read them to better understand the sequence of the projections.
I suggest that you also read the wall texts on the first floor to learn about Van Gogh, including the development of his style, his relationship with other artists, his secrets, etc.
Here’s where you can dive deep into his world and be acquainted with what the artist went through in his career and life.
I learned several interesting facts about him and became even more passionate about his work and also quotes.
I was still in the first part of the Van Gogh Immersive Experience, and I was already feeling very happy about visiting it.
My favourite part of the exhibition was the VR Experience. If you haven’t tried it before, it’s a great opportunity to do that.
You sit on a chair, put the goggles on and “wake up” in Van Gogh’s bedroom. On this 360-degree realistic ten-min voyage, you’ll take a stroll along the streets, fields, and stunning sceneries of Arles.
During this “day in the life of the artist in Arles”, narrated in the first person, I felt like a Van Gogh guest visiting his town. I was “floating in the air”, walking in a forest and mesmerized by the picturesque landscapes throughout the journey.
At all times I was with a big smile on my face and was amazed by this sensational adventure.
For me, this was a truly immersive experience. I loved it!
“I dream of painting and then I paint my dream.“
Vincent van Gogh
The exhibition’s climax, the digital show with projection mapping, sound effects and music is breathtaking.
You’re surrounded by Van Gogh’s masterpieces from floor to ceiling, “day and night”.
The transitions between one painting to another, the disintegration of the landscapes, and the animation of the elements of the paintings are magical.
There are also portrait paintings whose characters interact with each other, with numerous optical illusions in mapping effects coming one after another, including moving and shrinking walls.
I was completely in awe and felt grateful for having the opportunity to experience it!
After seeing so many brilliant artworks, I felt inspired and decided to colour Van Gogh’s self-portrait.
Before leaving, I still visited the gift shop to get my poster and see the souvenirs sold there.
I spent around two hours at the exhibition and left full of joy. It was a delightful way to spend my Saturday afternoon.
If you were wondering if you should go to the Van Gogh Immersive Experience in London or not, I believe that after reading this post you’ll wonder no more.
“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?“
Vicent van Gogh
Safe travels and enjoy the exhibition.
P.S: Despite the mandatory use of face masks, many people weren’t using them.
P.S.2: I didn’t receive a disposable mask for the eyes to wear in the VR Experience though.
Watch the Video: Van Gogh Experience London
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