Doing no justice to Van Gogh's artistry

A 50-minute drive later, I was all set to enter a Van Gogh painting. And as expected, I was spellbound, as a crescent moon slowly made its way up the screen, travelling across the room. It was then followed by luminous swirls, painted in yellow and white — the stars from Van Gogh’s famous painting The Starry Night. Thick strokes of blue and purple, glints of white and yellow, and shadows of trees filled up the rest of the room to complete the painting.

However, the awestruck reverie was short-lived. As you look around, you realise that the Van Gogh 360 immersive experience, is anything but immersive. It comprises a large hall, with Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings being projected on all four walls and the floor. While this does sound grand in theory, it falls short of the great expectations it set.

The jarring ceiling, a collection of projectors and lights, stands out as a sorry interruption. Breaking the continuity of the experience, it fails to deliver a truly immersive experience. To add to this, some parts of the projections remain blurred and pixelated, while some of the other paintings are butchered by sagging screens. The digital reproductions lack the human touch, the imperfections, and the raw authenticity that make Van Gogh’s work so powerful.

Compared to the main attraction, the anteroom, with backlit displays of some of his works and biographical details, seems more gripping as it provides insights into the tormented artist’s life. Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the experience was the inability to capture the emotional turmoil and brilliance of Van Gogh’s life and art.

The background music, which could’ve acted as the saving grace, falls short. The accompanying soundtracks often clashed with the emotions evoked by the art, detracting from the overall atmosphere. The soothing melodies designed to enhance serene landscapes felt jarring against the intense emotion of pieces like The Bedroom and Wheatfield with Crows, disrupting the experience.

The exhibition, which arrived in Bengaluru on August 8, after travelling to Delhi and Mumbai, has been drawing a steady crowd despite steep ticket prices — ranging from Rs 999 to Rs 1,099. The visitors include couples of all ages, students, parents wanting to expose their children to art, and social media ‘influencers’ attempting to create content with Van Gogh backdrops.

However, it hasn’t been well-received by the city crowd — with words such as ‘underwhelming’ and ‘overhyped’ being used to describe the ‘immersive’ experience. “The whole event is already underwhelming, and it doesn’t help that the room is overcrowded. With so many people trying to take pictures, instead of actually sitting and watching the paintings, the whole exhibition felt like a waste of time,” quips Shashi D, a 63-year-old retired accountant.

For those seeking a true encounter with the enigmatic genius of Vincent van Gogh, this exhibit proves to be a disappointing detour that fails to capture even the slightest essence of his artistry. Sitting on the floor, in an overcrowded room, the sound of a wailing kid in the background, you can’t help but stare at the vibrant sunflowers on the wall and wonder why you paid Rs 1,000 to watch a slide show.