Last week I was invited to attend a new exhibition in York, Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience. This exhibit has already been shown in Naples, Italy, and Brussels, Belgium – York is the UK premiere. This expo is immersive and very interactive and creative. Here is my full review of the new Van Gogh exhibition!
Exhibition Review
Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience starts off with a presentation in the huge nave of the church. The use of space here is excellent – York St. Mary’s is the perfect venue for the exhibit! There are comfortable deck chairs and you can watch as the paintings move around you. There’s really nice music, interspersed with some narration of Van Gogh quotes.
This part is very relaxing and tranquil – it’s so easy to just sit back and be surrounded by the paintings and lose yourself in them. It’s a full 360˚ experience. The transitions between the various works of art were so inventive and creative! This is especially true for the main center portrait of Van Gogh as it changes over time, reflecting how Van Gogh himself changed.
The exhibition changes from scenic nature paintings, to portraits, flowers, fields, and the dark sky at night. I loved seeing the painting Olive Trees on the wall – the painting is located in the Minneapolis Institute of Art in my hometown of Minneapolis. I actually worked at the museum for several months! All in all, this part of the exhibition is about 30 minutes for the entire loop. But I love that in the exhibition, you’re not rushed at all! You can sit and enjoy it as long as you like. This main part of the exhibition ends with Van Gogh’s quote, “What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?”
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The second part of the exhibitions has information on Van Gogh’s life and his works. They also have a fun interactive space where you can draw in your own sketches (and even draw on the table!) and be an artist yourself! You can then scan your sketches and they’ll be projected on the wall, the same as Van Gogh’s paintings were in the other part of the exhibit.
The final part of Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience is a virtual reality experience. This isn’t included in the main ticket, but was well worth it in my opinion. The VR experience is 11 minutes and it’s a tour through Arles, the town in France where Van Gogh created a bulk of his paintings. This was one of my favorite parts of the whole exhibition!
The VR tour starts in Van Gogh’s bedroom in Arles, made famous by his painting of it. You then go through the countryside and into the city. There are so many details in this part, and you see all the scenes of some of Van Gogh’s most famous paintings! You see the inspirations for 8 paintings in total, and they’re framed and brought to life. In the VR tour, you go out to the river and through the final painting, into space, and then travel back to the bedroom. Including the VR experience, I’d recommend setting aside about 1 hour for the entire Van Gogh exhibition.
Visiting Information and Tickets
Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience opened in July and will be on at York St. Mary’s in York until January. Definitely don’t miss this while it’s in York! It’s open 7 days a week, from 10am-6pm from Sunday to Wednesday, 10am-8pm on Thursdays, and 10am-7pm on Fridays and Saturdays. You can buy tickets online, done on a timed entry slot, or purchase them at the door. Tickets are £13 for adults, and the Virtual Reality experience tour of Arles is an extra £3. Including the VR experience, it’s a bit towards the higher end of the price range for exhibits in York – but if you can, I really recommend doing the VR tour at the end. You can find more information (and buy tickets) on the official website here.
Planning Your Trip to York
York is a fantastic place to visit for a daytrip, a weekend, or a week or longer! There are good train connections to York, and it’s just about 2 hours away from London by rail. I always recommend booking train tickets well in advance through Trainline. If you’re flying to the north of England, the nearest airport to York is Leeds-Bradford. However, Manchester Airport is probably your best bet for a wider range of international flights (and there’s a direct train from the airport to York). I always use Skyscanner to get the best deals on flights.
Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more. If you’re planning on staying in York overnight, you can search for hostels in York here, and search for hotels in York here!
Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience is a fantastic exhibition, that really brings the artist and his work to life. I loved being able to sit back and feel like I was in all of the paintings, and the venue was just superb. I’d definitely recommend checking out this exhibit while it’s in York!
I was offered complimentary tickets to attend the exhibition in exchange for a review, but all opinions (and photos!) are my own.
You might like my other posts:
20 Things to Do in York That Are Absolutely FREE!
The Best Restaurants in York, England
The Best Bars and Pubs in York, England
The Best Cafes and Coffee Shops in York, England
The Complete Guide to the Best Instagram Spots in York
The Best Walks in and Around York, England
All my York posts!
Have you seen this exhibit or another like it before? Share your experiences in the comments below!
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