An immersive art exhibition dedicated to Vincent van Gogh has been branded one of London's most disappointing attractions, with visitors reporting feeling short-changed after paying a £25 entry fee. Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, which was open in the capital until last autumn, has been critically panned for its low-quality digital projections and uninspiring presentation.
A Masterclass in Disappointment
The exhibition, created by the company Fever Up, opened in 2021. Its launch followed a trend sparked when the actress Emily from Emily in Paris visited a similar show, prompting a wave of comparable productions across Europe and North America. Located on Commercial Street in Shoreditch, the venue's entrance was so unassuming that many visitors reportedly walked straight past it.
Upon entry, guests were met with a dimly lit, narrow corridor where a staff member checked tickets. The lacklustre welcome felt incongruous with the substantial admission price, especially on a quiet Monday evening. The experience failed to improve beyond this point, devolving into what one reviewer described as a chaotic display that detracted from, rather than celebrated, Van Gogh's genius.
Textureless Prints and Nausea-Inducing Projections
The exhibition consisted of two primary rooms. The first mimicked a traditional gallery space, featuring printouts of the artist's famous works alongside biographical information. While this section was the highlight for some, the prints were criticised for being textureless and inferior to viewing original works, such as those held at London's National Gallery or The Courtauld.
The second room, billed as the main immersive attraction, proved even more underwhelming. A vast, largely empty space contained only a few deckchairs and a bench. Digitally altered versions of Van Gogh's paintings were projected onto the walls, accompanied by swirling patterns and animated petals. The effect was far from immersive for many. One attendee's colleague confessed to feeling physically nauseous after watching the subtly undulating images for a prolonged period.
The Fading Dream of Immersive Tech
The exhibition's failure echoes a broader disillusionment with certain immersive technologies. The review draws a parallel with the decline of 3D cinema, which peaked in 2011 with over 100 releases but has since dwindled to around a quarter of that number. This is despite director James Cameron's 2014 proclamation that all movies should be made in 3D forever.
The critic's view aligns with the late film reviewer Roger Ebert, who argued that 3D was often a gimmick that could cause headaches and was unsuitable for serious filmmaking. Similarly, this Van Gogh experience was accused of transforming profound art into a ridiculous and stomach-churning spectacle.
Many visitors left the exhibition after only half an hour, feeling not only short-changed but also melancholic, a sentiment ironically amplified by reading about the artist's own tragic life—his mental health struggles, time in the Saint-Paul asylum, and eventual suicide. The reviewer concluded that the only small mercy was that Van Gogh himself was spared the experience. After its London run, the exhibition toured to Belfast, Bristol, York, and Leicester. Fever Up has been approached for comment on the criticism.
