5 July 2019 to 5 January 2020, York St Mary’s
A new immersive experience is set to make its UK debut this summer in York city centre following successful runs in Brussels and Naples. Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience will open in York St Mary’s on Castlegate on 5 July, enabling visitors to step inside the paintings, world and mind of the 19 th century impressionist painter.
The multimedia experience tells Van Gogh’s life and his creations through projections, recreations and interactive elements of his artworks around the historic exhibition space. Over 200 of his works are featured, but rather than remaining static, the huge projections of paintings come alive with digital animation and an emotive soundtrack, to create a world where the visitor sees through the eyes of Vincent Van Gogh for a 35 minute, fully immersive 360 degree experience.
“For so many people, art is inaccessible – paintings hung in galleries where you understand little context about the work. This immersive experience changes that completely, with some of the most famous pieces of art in the world not only shown on a larger than life scale, but actually bringing the images to life with movement that isn’t confined to the edges of a picture frame,” comments the man behind the project, Mario Iacampo, Creative Director and Founder of Exhibition Hub, who worked with some of the world’s leading animation artists at Dirty Monitor to create this unique art experience. “Whether you are five years old or 85, this gives you a remarkable, colourful and engaging insight into Van Gogh’s life and artistic perspective using cutting-edge technology and world-class digital animation.”
York was chosen as the first venue in the UK as a destination which embraces both its heritage and digital prowess, recognised as a UNESCO City of Media Arts.
“All year round, York welcomes a wide audience of experience-seeking visitors, and we believe that Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience sits perfectly alongside the traditional museums and attractions to appeal to a very wide range of people – not only tourists, but also local residents, school groups, university students and art clubs. Whether you are a lover of classical art or an aficionado of contemporary presentation, this experience will leave no visitor unmoved by the story – sometimes joyous, sometimes tragic – of this remarkable Dutch artist,” adds Mario.
Head of Visit York, Paul Whiting, is delighted that the attraction will receive its UK premier in the city. “York has led the way in immersive experiences; from the recreation of Kirkgate in the York Castle Museum to the re-imagined Viking settlement at JORVIK Viking Centre, the city has always had the appetite for pushing the boundaries of technology. This has continued in the 21 st century with the city an influential part of the UNESCO Creative Cities network. Visitors and residents alike will love this remarkable and visually stunning blend of art and technology – it is a great addition to the city for the second half of 2019.”
The exhibition will open on 5 July and is scheduled to run through until 5 January 2020. It will open daily throughout the summer from 10.00am, closing at 6pm Sunday to Wednesday, 7pm on Friday and Saturday and 8pm on Thursdays. Last entry is one hour before closing, and visits take approximately one hour. York St Mary’s is located in Castlegate, with easy access from the Coppergate Centre, adjacent to JORVIK Viking Centre.
Pre-booked tickets go on sale on Tuesday 11 June. Admission prices are £13.00 for adults, £11.00 for concessions and students and £9.00 for children. Family tickets are available for £38.00 (two adults and two children). For more information, please visit www.vangoghexpo.co.uk
