Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience in Calgary

“I want to touch people with my art. I want them to say 'he feels deeply, he feels tenderly'.”

And that's exactly how I felt today at the Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience exhibition in Calgary. Designed using cutting edge projection technology that surrounded the walls and the floors; this exhibit was unique in the way it connected with me. It was glorious to see those famous paintings, come to life all around me, which I have only ever seen in museums, books or TV shows! 

For pictures and my experience at the Beyond Van Gogh Calgary exhibition, keep reading!

The Starry Night <3

As we entered the exhibition we were greeted by a winding hallway of screens and empty gold frames, describing the life of Vincent Van Gogh. With his paintings of landscapes as backdrops, the impact of those words were magnified - each quote of Van Gogh was relatable and I particularly loved the one at the entrance and also towards the end of the exhibition:

"Love always causes trouble, that's true, but in its favour, it energizes."

And this love for art did energize me and not just me but those hundreds of art lovers who came to attend and experience this uniquely captivating Van Gogh exhibit. The movement that we often felt in Van Gogh's art, the breeze that could be felt in the trees and the landscape, the changing of the night sky and the affectionate eye contact of the portraits could all be seen and felt. It was truly an experience that anyone would enjoy and appreciate.

The exhibition begins with hallways of empty frames and lots of information about Vincent Van Gogh.. 

We patiently read each screen while in a queue,  felt for Van Gogh and took pictures in the frames while more die hard fans read and reread the infographic with Van Gogh's masterpieces as background!

Loved the vibrant paintings and the exclusivity of this collection

This was the opening sequence of the projections

I had read several times about the hardships Vincent Van Gogh faced throughout his life, but the connection he had with is brother Theo was extraordinary.  Their deep connection as brothers and supporters of one another was quite inspirational and it did inspire my children to understand the value of love and bonding. I was glad this immersive animated experience was relatable even to the younger minds who might not have seen or read of Van Gogh's art as yet but are now able to develop an appreciation of fine art and artists.

My boys had a great time too! They were inspired to create their own art 

Portraits were also my favorite..

Everyone loved the portraits the most, I think..obviously after the Starry Night

Self Portrait of Van Gogh

More Self Portraits of Van Gogh

Loved being surrounded with my favorite pieces of art - Irises being a personal favorite

The crowd was mesmerized by the exhibit

Quotes were my favorite!

This exhibition was like walking into the dreams of Vincent Van Gogh and becoming part of his artwork. Whether it was the swirls of the starry night, the winking of his self portraits, the focus on irises, bouquets and the meadows along with some of Van Gogh's best known quotes, this exhibition enabled me to reimagine his artwork and feel connected to Van Gogh on a deeper level. It truly is something everyone must experience whenever they get a chance as this unforgettable rendezvous with Van Gogh can not be missed!

I highly recommend you to visit Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience in Calgary at the BMO Centre at Stampede Park. This exhibition runs until August 29th, 2021 so grab your tickets while you can to get a new perspective on Van Gogh. 

All details about this exhibition and tickets can be found at https://calgaryvangogh.com/