October 11, 2021

By Kylie Mesmer

Photo courtesy of "Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience" media kit

Oct. 1 through Nov. 21, St. Louis will be the temporary home of an exhibition that has been enthralling the public all over the country and world. “Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” will be opening its doors at the Saint Louis Galleria this fall and welcoming the public to experience the masterpieces of Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh on an entirely new level. 

“Beyond Van Gogh” is the newest creation from French-Canadian Creative Director Mathieu St-Arnaud and his company, Normal Studio, which is based in Montréal, Canada. The exhibit debuted this past spring in Miami and has since embarked on a tour encompassing more than 17 cities. “Beyond Van Gogh” anticipates that they will welcome over one million visitors this year alone.

The exhibit states that their goal is to “proudly present Vincent Van Gogh like he has never been seen before.” 

To achieve this goal, the studio partnered with some of the best audiovisual artists in the world to create “Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience.” Their work culminated in a three-dimensional experience utilizing over 4 trillion content pixels to display the art in high resolution, and a musical score featuring music from contemporary artists such as Miles Davis. All of this is set against a backdrop of Van Gogh’s artwork, thoughts and ideas.

“Through his own words set to a symphonic score, guests come to a new appreciation of this tortured artist’s stunning work,” the exhibit wrote in a press release. 

Dr. James van Dyke, an associate professor of art history at MU, explained the magnitude of Vincent van Gogh’s life and work.

“His work is significant as an example of Northern European painting after Impressionism,” Van Dyke said. “Stylistically and iconographically, he represents an important period in 19th century European painting. Very few artists attract such powerful attention from people that may not care about art so much. He’s seen as a powerful, captivating mythical figure of genius and what genius is supposed to be.”

Van Dyke said that while he has not visited the exhibit yet, he does have some concerns about its message.

“In the language of publicity, it is precisely the kind of thing that is built on the myth of Van Gogh,” Van Dyke said. “The idea of Van Gogh as a troubled genius and spectacular painter — that myth is a kind of spectacle of Van Gogh, and I find it problematic.”

“Beyond Van Gogh” also strays from the stereotypical idea of museums as boring, stuffy and quiet. This exhibit is full of sound and movement, and it encourages its guests to engage in a new experience. “Beyond Van Gogh” gives visitors the opportunity to become a part of Van Gogh’s paintings. 

However, the exhibit’s unique set up may also take away from a viewer’s full appreciation of Van Gogh’s paintings and the labor that went into them.

“He’s a painter that people should engage with, or ideally derive great pleasure from looking at those paintings,” Van Dyke said. “The heavy brushwork in his paintings are replications of the act and the heavy work of the labor itself. Then it becomes dematerialized [in this event] and it’s lost in the sense of ‘ooh’ and ‘wow.’” 

“Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” is an incredible opportunity to experience art in a completely new way. But, it’s important to remember that the art and life of Van Gogh is powerful, and some art connoisseurs like Dr. Van Dyke advise that full appreciation cannot be fully derived from the exhibit alone. 

Ticket options fluctuate and range from $24.99 for children (ages 5-15) to  $93.99 for the VIP Package (includes a merchandise package, access outside of exhibit hours and priority access). Groups of eight or more are eligible for Group Timed Entry tickets, at $30.99 a person. Students with valid IDs can snag their tickets for $32.99 a piece, while regular tickets for adults are $36.99. To purchase tickets, head over to vangoghstlouis.com. 

Edited by Elise Mulligan | emulligan@themaneater.com