Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, an internationally renowned 360-degree digital immersive art experience, made its Southeast Asian debut at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) today. Having entranced more than five million visitors worldwide since 2017, the exhibition catapulteds its guests into the world of Vincent van Gogh, and allows them to encounter the iconic Dutch painter's works through a mix of stunning replicas, cutting-edge digital projections, Virtual Reality (VR), and spectacular atmospheric light and sound.
Organised by H&B and Exhibition Hub, together with Fever and RWS, Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience is a must-see not just for art aficionados but for visitors of all walks of life and ages. Presenting the celebrated artist’s works in a way that is accessible to the general public, and reshaping the traditional idea of classic art galleries and museums, the exhibition grants visitors a unique closeness and understanding of Van Gogh’s works through an exquisite blend of art, storytelling and technology.
“H&B is ecstatic to be able to work together with Exhibition Hub to bring Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience to Singapore, after its resounding success in the USA and Europe.” said Michael Lee, CEO of H&B. “This is a groundbreaking opportunity to further enhance Singapore’s position as a rising global destination for art and culture, and with Singapore returning to Dorscon Green recently, this would also be a chance for H&B to further boost the tourism industry in the near future.”
A journey through the life and works of Vincent van Gogh
The wholly immersive experience begins from the moment visitors set foot into a larger-than-life facade of an amalgamation between two of Van Gogh's most iconic artworks – Starry Night and Sunflowers, a grand gateway to the journey that will lead them through more than 300 of Van Gogh’s artworks displayed in a multitude of mediums across various thematic zones.
As visitors begin their adventure further into the artistic heart of Van Gogh’s universe, they will be greeted by interactive installations, artwork displays, monographics as well as texts about the artist, his life and his masterpieces in the About the Artist segment. This space offers an in-depth look into his life’s story, such as his siblings, some of his art pieces, and detailed stories about the artist.
They will then meander into the Anamorphose room, where multidimensional interpretations of Van Gogh’s works await. One highlight they will encounter is a fascinating replica of Van Gogh's bedroom in Arles, France, the site depicted within his iconic painting “The Bedroom”. The interactive space unearths a complex understanding into the artist’s psyche, transporting the audience into Van Gogh’s experiential and physical reality of the space he spent a substantial amount of time in.
Besides showcasing his artworks, the exhibition will shine a spotlight on the influences and inspirations that played a key role in what would eventually become part of Van Gogh’s signature art style – namely the Japonisme movement in Europe in the late 1800s. Introduced to the audience for the very first time at its debut in Singapore, the exhibition pays homage to Asian cultural practices within this zone. The room adds two novel introductions to the exhibition’s offerings, featuring traditional Japanese art style woodblocking and printing in an eye-catching digital display, as well as a matcha tea demonstration.
As visitors make their way through new discoveries about Van Gogh, they will be portalled into The Immersive Room, a wondrous and truly immersive space depicting a 40-minute digital projection mapping showcase of Van Gogh’s most famous artworks. Set to be one of the exhibition’s main highlights, visitors are more than welcome to recline and relax in the mesmerising experience while enveloped in the stunning light and audio show accompanying the projections. Going beyond the aesthetics into the educational, the projections will also provide insight into the development and transformation of Van Gogh’s art style, such as how his evolving interpretations of sunflowers, which is a subject matter he was known to continuously return to.
Continuing past, visitors can choose to end off their exhibition experience with Sketch & Post, a complimentary fringe activity for guests to put pen to paper for their very own art piece and have it scanned onto a live screen, or experience “A Day in the Life of the Artist in Arles”, the experience’s trademark virtual reality (VR) segment. The 10-minute VR experiential journey is a multi-sensory experience complemented by state-of-the-art technology where visitors can witness Van Gogh’s artworks come to life all around them, encouraging closer examination and discovery of new aspects of his life, bringing the audience up close and personal to a whole new level. Some artworks that they can get up close to include Vincent's Bedroom in Arles, Starry Night, Wheatfield With Crows, and Starry Night Over The Rhône, to name a few.
Diverse complementary experiences for all to enjoy
Alongside the art offerings, Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience will feature an exciting line-up of fringe programmes and activities that offer a deeper appreciation of Vincent van Gogh.
At the thematic cafe space, visitors can savour a delectable range of Janice Wong bites and sweet treats, including an exclusive menu of Van Gogh-themed chocolates in vibrant hues and tones reminiscent of the artist’s distinctive style..A selection of exclusive exhibition merchandise will also be available for purchase, from exclusive tote bags and prints to special edition skateboards and more!
Making an impact on local grounds
In bringing the internationally acclaimed experience to Singapore, H&B also celebrates and supports local by partnering with local brands and artists such as Janice Wong, Castlery and PRISM+, to further augment the visitor experience. H&B also commissioned Singaporean contemporary artist Jahan Loh to create an expansive Van Gogh-themed mural that features in the cafe facade. Taking inspiration from Vincent van Gogh’s love of Japanese aesthetics and his collection of hundreds of Japanese ukiyo-e prints, the mural is executed in strong, hard edge lines representative of contemporary Japanese art style, and in a monochromatic blue on canvas, emulating old Japanese scroll paintings.
As part of H&B’s objective of making art available to all, H&B has also launched a pilot series of guided tours in Mandarin to select beneficiary partners such as People’s Association, Community Development Council and WeCare Marine Parade. The pilot series seeks to increase accessibility of the experience to Mandarin-speaking visitors in particular, and will be made available to the public at a later date.
