Starting this September, you won't have to travel halfway around the world to take in van Gogh's most famous works; a 20,000-square-foot light and sound installation and VR experience (which are bundled in the same ticket, unlike other cities that are hosting a confusing array of van Gogh exhibits at one time through the same ticketing company; more on that below) is bringing masterpieces by the Dutch post-impressionist painter to cities across the country, including here in Seattle.
A joint project between Exhibition Hub and Fever, Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience—tickets for which go on sale this Wednesday, March 10, at noon—is modeled after similar installations that have toured Europe in recent years (although it is not the same as the one featured in Emily in Paris, in case you were wondering), comprising a 360-degree floor-to-ceiling rig that unfetters paintings like "The Starry Night" from the borders of their original canvases (who can forget that "Wheatfield with Crows" allegory in Greg Araki's Mysterious Skin?!), leaving viewers to literally bask in their light. Beyond the main room, smaller galleries will provide context on the artist's life alongside "larger than life" re-creations.
There's also a virtual reality component at the end of the show (for which you can get front-of-line access if you purchase VIP tickets), a 10-minute journey billed as "a day in the life of the artist" that's designed to make you feel as if you're strolling alongside Vincent as he discovers scenes that would inspire eight of his seminal paintings.
Specific date and location details have not yet been announced, but those who purchase tickets will be notified of any updates via email. You can also sign up for the waitlist to get exclusive access to tickets when they're released.
Update: While cities like Boston are hosting multiple immersive van Gogh exhibits at once—which has been the source of much confusion for ticket buyers, leading to criticism of Fever's ticketing platform—there is currently only one van Gogh exhibit planned for Seattle (though it's worth noting that it is not "Immersive Van Gogh," the exhibit that was featured in Netflix's Emily in Paris). With that said, if you have any issues purchasing tickets and you need to contact customer service, beware of the company's alleged poor customer service and very annoying no-refund policy.
