Excited to say I just returned from the immersive Van Gogh Exhibit in Manhattan!
I became obsessed with seeing it ever since viewing the episode of “Emily in Paris” in which it was featured.
What is the exhibition like? A movie? A museum exhibit?
I’ll venture to say that it’s more like going to a theater than a museum.
Taking this a step further, it is more a cross between seeing a movie in a theater and watching a play or other stage event.
It’s a “film” in the sense that animated images of Van Gogh’s art constantly move across the walls.
Yet it is “theater” in that other participants entering the room become “actors” in the overall experience.
Van Gogh NYC: Starting from the Top
Van Gogh NYC: Brief History
In 2017, patrons and guests at Manhattan’s Museum of Modern Art snapped selfies of themselves against van Gogh’s famous painting, “The Starry Night.”
I was present at this opening night exhibition. And I felt the excitement of being an inch away from this famous work. Yet in the end it was a “museum visit” like many others.
The immersive van Gogh experience is much different.
And the key difference is that you–and everyone else in the room(s) are a participant in the experience, not just an observer.
The first line in Wikipedia says it all … van Gogh was a Dutch post-impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most influential figures in the history of Western art. In a decade, he created more than 2,100 artworks.
Even people who never studied art in high school or college, can recognize a van Gogh painting by the vivid colors and lurid exaggeration of commonplace people, places, and things.
Yet even having an encyclopedic knowledge of van Gogh’s work has no bearing on how much you will enjoy the experience.
Van Gogh NYC Tickets
Many people, even those who never studied art in high school or college, can recognize a van Gogh painting by the vivid colors and lurid exaggeration of commonplace people, places, and things.
Yet even having an encyclopedic knowledge of van Gogh’s work has no bearing on how much you will enjoy the experience.
Van Gogh NYC: Tickets
The first step on your van Gogh journey is getting the tickets. You can find the various options here.
I chose the “flex” plan, which would allow a guest to arrive two hours before and even two hours after a chosen time.
The tier above the “flex” plan is VIP.
VIP participants have their own private entrance (so you escape the crowds). VIP patrons also receive a large plastic yellow sunflower, a van Gogh themed seat cushion, a more personal welcome, and some other small goodies.
As holders of the “flex” ticket we arrived 90 minutes early and ventured inside.
Upon entering the first room, we could see patrons sitting crossed legged on the floor, immersed in the van Goh images dancing on the walls.
We moved on to the second room, larger than the first, where many people had chairs.
Then ultimately, we ventured forth to the main room where people sat on the floor, on folding chairs, or on benches.
We eventually found a bench and remained watching the interactive experience again and again as it replayed.
Each replay seemed fresh because of new people entering the room. These new configurations created artistic dynamics of their own.
Van Gogh NYC: How to Prepare
Van Gogh’s sunny landscapes, night scenes, portraits and still-life paintings are paired with music. Works include Les Mangeurs de pomme de terre (The Potato Eaters, 1885), La Nuit étoilée (Starry Night, 1889), Les Tournesols (Sunflowers, 1888), and La Chambre à coucher (The Bedroom, 1889).
Technical details (audio, visual) are state-of-the-art perfect.
Van Gogh NYC: When the Show Ends
Departing the space, guests can see costumes of the period on mannequins.
The gift shop features all the beautiful souvenirs you’d expect: plates, casual adornments, stuffed animals.
And within the gift shop area you will also find a café serving tea, coffee, pastry, and other light snacks.
Van Gogh NYC: Useful Information
What to wear?!
Casual attire is the norm.
That said, the van Gogh interactive exhibition provides the “photo op” of a lifetime.
Almost everyone had their friend/family take pictures of them against the gorgeous colors of the exhibit. So dress up for the photo opportunity.
What to Bring
Top Priority: cameras, devices with cameras, and batteries to charge your phone.
I brought both my iPhone and my Pixel Google phone.
Note that you will not be allowed to use a flash, so the “Night Sight” lens on my G phone came in handy.
Transportation
The van Gogh exhibition, less than a half-hour from midtown.
Getting there is the simple part via a taxi.
On the return, consider booking an Uber or Lyft in advance.
Basic Info
Pier 36 New York (299 South Street, New York, NY 10002)
Click on van Gogh NYC for more info
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