Step Into the World of Art – Literally

A framed picture on a wall. A parade of tourists marches past with a glance. Some pretentious bohemian with a turtleneck and ponytail poses thoroughly, staring at a single piece. This is kind of the stereotype of art exhibits. Cold, stuffy, overly formal environments where art is sequestered as much as appreciated. Like a zoo for oil and canvas.

But a new wave of interactive (or at least, immersive) art installations is trying to change that. Dedicated to the works of Van Gogh and Monet (separately), they take the static works of master painters and bring them to life in a way that sparks wonderment and awe.

There’s an introductory area, where you get a more typical experience, checking out a progression of the artist’s career with little plaques to read and familiarize yourself if you’re not already an expert on the subject matter (experts aren’t necessarily the target audience).

But it’s all building toward getting you inside the main exhibit hall. Imagine a convention hall with projectors all around. Blank tapestries hang from the ceiling like walls. Every surface becomes a tableau of artwork, moving, shifting, showing off a collage of an entire life’s work. You can either wander around admiring it all or pick a spot and watch as it all comes to you in bits and pieces.

This delves into the realm of strict opinion here. I personally don’t mind the traditional museum experience. But the focus tends to be on preservation and history rather than evoking any particular emotion from the patron.

At the time it was created, art wasn’t intended as history (OK, maybe the odd egomaniac here or there…). Art had its own purposes.

Convey emotion.

Exorcise personal demons.

Turn the soul inside out for the world to see.

So, go ahead, keep the originals on display behind the velvet ropes and bullet-proof glass, surrounded by armed guards and miles of white space. But bring art appreciation into the 21st century by leveraging all that modern multimedia can offer to connect the viewer with the feeling of the art.

And the digital nature of the exhibit helps to bring artwork to a broader audience simultaneously without the hassle of security, insurance, and transportation for priceless and delicate masterpieces.

Step inside. Immerse yourself. Experience art from inside.

Check out https://monetexpo.com/ and/or https://vangoghexpo.com/, and if they’re within a distance you’re willing to drive, consider seeing for yourself.