After hugely successful runs across Europe and the United States of America (USA), the expansive and award-winning 360-degree digital immersive art experience, Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, will debut in Southeast Asia in 2023, opening in Singapore for the first time at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), B1 Forum. This highly Instagram-worthy and stunning digital art experience is organised by H&B in partnership with Exhibition Hub, Fever, and RWS.
Planning for Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience first began in 2016 and since then, this experience, rated the #1 immersive experience by readers of USA Today, has successfully toured multiple European and US cities thanks to the award-winning entertainment producer Exhibition Hub and Fever, the leading entertainment discovery platform. H&B, a next generation activation and engagement company who previously brought Dale Chihuly: Glass in Bloom to Singapore during the height of COVID-19, has partnered with Exhibition Hub, Fever, as well as premium lifestyle destination resort, RWS, to bring the hugely anticipated Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience to the shores of Singapore.
“One of the dreams for H&B is to be able to share the beauty of art in various forms with Singapore, from sculptures and paintings, to immersive digital art experiences.” said Michael Lee, CEO, H&B. “We are ecstatic to be organising this unique exhibition in partnership with Resorts World Sentosa, Exhibition Hub and Fever, and to debut Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience at Singapore’s premium lifestyle destination in Southeast Asia.”
This 360-degree digital art experience is housed within various individualistic galleries in the expansive space of over 17,000 square feet. The exhibition invites visitors to step into more than 300 of Vincent Van Gogh’s sketches, drawings, and paintings, immersing one in his world and life works by using floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall large-scale digital projections. One of the core highlights of this exhibition is an expansive central projection area where the digital projections are the most prominent, creating a mesmerising space where visitors can sit and absorb the wonders of one of the most well-loved Dutch influential artists all around them at every turn.
Scott Peterson, Vice President, Lifestyle, RWS, shares: “With guests at the heart of our business, we are embarking on a make-over of our tourism offerings to enhance RWS’ destination appeal, capitalising on the post-pandemic pent-up demand. Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience has been mesmerising guests globally with the cutting-edge technology in immersive art. We are delighted to debut this captivating exhibition with our partners in this region, bringing the renowned interactive experiences to our guests in Singapore and from around the world. Hosting this exhibition marks the integrated resort’s unwavering dedication to blaze the trail in scaling up and curating remarkable offerings for our guests to enjoy unrivalled lifestyle experiences at RWS.”
The Singapore edition of this exhibition further boasts the inaugural debut of two unique segments. This is the first time in the world that Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience will be featuring a showcase of the traditional Japanese art style of woodblock stamps and prints. The ancient art of Japanese woodblocking rose to fame in France during the 1880s, where Van Gogh saw the impact that this oriental art form had on the western art scene. Developing a keen interest in the Japonisme movement, it led to strongly influencing Van Gogh’s artwork style, creating masterpieces such as the ‘Geisha’.
In another homage to Japanese culture, there will also be an authentic matcha tea ceremony on display, with guests being able to enjoy a taste of fresh matcha right after. The matcha tea ceremony is also a traditional process that has been long ingrained in Japanese culture for millennia, as a unique art form that revolves around the ‘Wabi-Sabi’ principles. For the first time worldwide, Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience is bringing this experience to guests, focusing on the Japanese hospitality and art form of the process.
The one-of-a-kind Virtual Reality (VR) experience offers a look into Van Gogh’s world like no other. This multisensory VR experience, which is exclusive to Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, lets visitors explore the unforgettable ten-minute journey “A Day in the Life of the Artist,” in which the inspiration behind some of Van Gogh’s most beloved works are revealed, including Vincent’s Bedroom at Arles, and Starry Night Over The Rhone River.
“Our focus on total immersion starts from the moment you enter and stays with you long after you leave,” said Mario Iacampo, CEO and Creative Director for Exhibition Hub. “This wholly new way to experience art, provides our guests with a deeper appreciation of Van Gogh’s genius in a truly transcendent environment.”
In the drawing studio, guests’ work becomes a part of the show, where visitors can become artists themselves through unique creations, or recreating an art piece that inspired them the most from the exhibition. Not only can they create the artwork themselves, they can also scan it onsite and transform it into a larger-than-life digital representation which they can use as their exclusive photo backdrop.
After visiting the exhibition and experiencing art in various forms, visitors can also enjoy a whole suite of add-on experiences, including a thematic cafe that offers Janice Wong’s range of pastries and sweet treats, plus exclusive exhibition merchandise. There is also a range of activities and programmes in store for all ages, from signature yoga classes to art jamming sessions and more!
Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience will open to the public from 01 March 2023. Tickets are available from 19 January, 4pm, from S$15 for children and S$24 for adults. Visit www.vangoghexpo.com/singapore for more information.
