A Glimpse Inside the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit

Celebrating the eccentric life of a painter

Photo of Vincent Van Gogh at the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit Cleveland. Photo by Reem Abumeri

The Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit has traveled the globe, making its way everywhere from Paris to London, Detroit to Houston, and Chicago to Toronto. But for now, the world-renowned exhibit has settled right here in Cleveland at the Lighthouse Art Space on E. 72 Street and is on display through February 2022.

The exhibit showcases a new way to experience art, incorporating stunning visuals and atmospheric music to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The space in use allows for over 500,000 cubic feet of mesmerizing projections of Vincent Van Gogh’s finest works of art. The show includes his earliest and lesser-known paintings besides the well-known pieces, such as “The Starry Night”. Accompanying music is composed by Luca Lonborgardi, who worked closely with the founder and designer of the exhibit, Massimiliano Siccardi. 

Painting from the Immersive Vincent Van Gogh Exhibit. Photo by Reem Abumeri

Visitors seat themselves on benches, chairs, or complimentary cushions on the floor and wait patiently for the show to start. Guests are transported to the world created by Van Gogh’s imagination. The sun rises and sets across the wall, candles flicker, wax melts, blossoms fall from their branches, and the roots of violets reach deep. Sunflower fields and windmills stretch for miles. Quiet day scenes fade into lively night scenes. 

The combination of music, light, and aroma is enough to deeply move viewers as they get a slight glimpse into the mind and creative genius of Van Gogh.

“I want to touch people with my art,” Van Gogh once wrote in a letter to his brother, Theo. Van Gogh was not appreciated during his lifetime like many other artists, even suffering from depression, epilepsy, and bipolar disorder throughout most of his life. Many of his paintings were created in his hospital room while he was being treated and through recovery. “The Starry Night” was an enhanced image of the view from his window and “Violets”, was created in the gardens of the hospital. 

Van Gogh’s art is not only celebrated for its distinctive strokes and techniques. Van Gogh was able to translate his inner turmoil into self expression through paintings and drawing. The Dutch artist’s work represents the hope he held for himself, that one day he would have a better life and he would be able to share his work with the rest of the world. 

Tickets are available now through February 6, 2022. For more information about the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit, please visit their webpage.

Author: Faith Patton

Cleveland State University English Literature and Creative Writing