Seeing an unprecedented amount of interest after its debut in Delhi, the Van Gogh 360 Immersive Experience has been creating quite the buzz here in Bengaluru. Offering art enthusiasts a journey through the life and works of the legendary 19th-century post-Impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh, the 45-minute walkthrough gives us a quick glimpse into various facets of the artist’s life.
As we approach the venue, an enormous outdoor tent enveloped in starry night-themed banners, hints at the visual delight that awaits us. Before stepping in, however, we make sure to quickly click pictures on the Sunflower photo booth set-up opposite the box office, which has been designed keeping his famous sunflowers artwork in mind as they were flowers that communicated gratitude.
A soothing instrumental soundtrack sets the ambience for the immersive adventure, which begins with the education room, where vibrant panels with backlights showcase Van Gogh’s brushstrokes and masterpieces, accompanied by overlaid text that narrates Vincent’s life story.
The celebrated artist’s massive canon, comprising an estimated 2,100 paintings and drawings, was created within a mere 10-year period, with around 860 of them produced in the last two years of his life. The chronicles highlight aspects of his mental health, self-portraits and even the association of his renowned painting, The Starry Night, with Don McLean’s song which goes by a similar name.
After delving into the artist’s life, we are led to the main hall – a room adorned with 360-degree projections on all four walls and the floor, on which you can freely commute. Once inside, you can either plop onto the white bean bags sprinkled across the room or go around the room to enjoy the projections from various angles. The show begins with a title sequence before the screens transform into Van Gogh’s The Sower painting setting the ambience. These projections are animated by merging his various artworks like The Potato Eaters, Noon Rest From Work, Bulb Fields, Head of a Skeleton with a Burning Cigarette, The Bedroom and Torso of Venus.
The experience feels therapeutic when paintings like Almond Blossom and Sunflowers come together with twirling flowers. You know the show is to conclude when you spot a luminous yellow crescent and shimmering stars slowly transporting us into the heart of Van Gogh’s iconic Starry Night painting. One of the most enchanting aspects was elements from one painting merging into the frame to introduce the next set of artworks. However, we recommend not moving too much along with the running elements on the screen, as that might be a tad dizzying.
Like all immersive spaces, we find ourselves in a colourful gift shop filled with an array of Vincent Van Gogh’s merchandise, paintings-adorned postcards, apparel and trinkets. We look around with the promise to return.
Rs 1,099 onwards, the show is on till September 3, at Bhartiya Mall of Bengaluru, Thanisandra Main Road