Lighthouse Minneapolis, a new venue in Northeast Minneapolis dedicated to immersive art displays, shared the official Minneapolis debut date for the original Immersive Van Gogh exhibition. The experiential production that has been dazzling and delighting audiences and critics alike since its U.S. premiere in Chicago this past February will debut Friday, August 13, and will run at Lighthouse Minneapolis at 1515 Central Ave. NE through October 31, 2021.
Immersive Van Gogh invites audiences to “step inside” the iconic works of post-Impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh, evoking his highly emotional and chaotic inner consciousness through art, light, music, movement and imagination. The exhibit was designed by creative director and Italian film producer Massimiliano Siccardi, with original, mood-setting music by Italian multimedia composer Luca Longobardi, who provided a score that combines experimental electronic music with pure, ethereal and simple-seeming piano. Vittorio Guidotti is the Art Director. Visitors to Immersive Van Gogh are encircled from head-to-toe in Van Gogh’s brushstrokes and colors, including animated details from works such as Self Portrait with Felt Hat (1888), The Bedroom in Arles (1889), Irises (1889), and The Starry Night (1889), all assembled using the latest technology, world-class animation, and theatrical storytelling.
The newly curated venue features a lobby with educational displays and a separate gallery space that includes mirrored sculptures and surfaces meant to enhance the viewing experience, along with a central elevated platform from which patrons can immerse themselves in over 60,000 frames of video, 90,000,000 pixels, and 500,000+ cubic feet of projections. The space will also include a café where patrons can purchase organic baked goods and coffee provided by locally owned Peoples Organic.
Scenic designer Randy Wong-Westbrooke (they/them/their), an award-nominated, up-and-coming artist whose work has been featured in the American Conservatory Theater and San Francisco Playhouse, assembled the educational displays in the lobby that delve into the enigmatic artistic vision of Vincent van Gogh and the myths and legends associated with him and his artistic practice, these unique pieces include a palette knife impasto sculpture demonstrating the novel physical textures of Van Gogh’s paintings, an oversized traveling artist box displaying a recreation of the only painting Van Gogh ever sold, an exhibit examining Van Gogh’s affinity for yellow paint, and more.
Following a sold-out run in Toronto and blockbuster premieres in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, and Charlotte, Minneapolis marks the sixth iteration of Immersive Van Gogh in the U.S., which has been called one of “the hottest tickets in town!” by MSNBC Morning News and “a mesmerizing interactive experience” by Architectural Digest. Now, the original Immersive Van Gogh has made its way to Northeast Minneapolis. Local media are invited to attend a press preview of the exhibition at Lighthouse Minneapolis on Tuesday, August 17 from 9 AM to 10 PM.
“Immersive Van Gogh has been a smash hit in every city it’s been unveiled in thus far, and we anticipate similar reactions as we introduce the exhibit to the vibrant arts community in Northeast Minneapolis” said Corey Ross, producer of Immersive Van Gogh. “The new scenic designer for this space has introduced some never-before-seen elements that make Immersive Van Gogh Minneapolis stand out among previous presentations of the show.”
Tickets for the exhibition are on sale now at vangoghmsp.com. Ticket prices start at $39.99, with timed and flexible ticket options available. Tickets are on sale now for viewings through October 31, 2021. The venue is easily accessible by public transportation and valet parking will be available on-site.
