Taking over the Shelbourne Hall at the RDS from May 16th, Van Gogh Dublin is a 20,000 square foot, light and sound spectacular featuring two-story projections of the artist’s most compelling works. The journey is completely immersive using artificial intelligence (AI), so it feels like you are surrounded by the artwork and that the artwork is a living, breathing thing. You will encounter the brilliance of one of history’s greatest artists in 360 degrees.The high-tech spectacle, founded by two Irish brothers Dan and John Gleeson, is family-friendly and designed for people of all ages and interests, running May 16th to August 4th.
Van Gogh Dublin is an immersive, all digital, hands-free experience that is perfect for our socially distant world and every audience, young or old. The RDS is one of very few Dublin venues with sufficient infrastructure to build an immersive exhibition of this scale and impact.
You get to walk through the fascinating and tragic life of Van Gogh
Speaking about what makes this immersive experience by one of the world’s most iconic artists so incredible and different, project director Jillian Wilson said: “Visitors will experience audio-visual storytelling at its best and will be immersed in Van Gogh's history and art work, enjoying his masterpieces in an advanced digital format, transformed using different facades and technological approaches. Even finishing with a futuristic and innovative AI interpretation of his paintings”.
“You get to walk through the fascinating and tragic life of Van Gogh, through his carefully curated artworks, chosen to fully absorb you in a multisensory experience, with mind-blowing audio-visual effects.”
The spectacle has been masterminded by creative studio Nohlab, known for their mind-bending, multi-award winning immersive digital-art exhibitions across the world.
As part of this Van Gogh Dublin immersive journey, visitors will also get to experience three of Nohlab’s existing multi-sensory, contemporary pieces of digital artwork, some of which feature in the famous Atelier Des Lumiere in Paris, that will take the visitor on a journey beyond Van Gogh, to the evolution on art, science and light.
This Van Gogh immersive journey is the world premiere of this digital art exhibition, taking digital art technologies to a new level right here in Dublin. Think you’ve seen a Van Gogh immersive experience like this before while abroad? Think again!
The experience is in four parts, beginning with a deep dive into Vincent Van Gogh’s subconscious. 20,000 square ft digital projections of his psyche will surround you in 360 degrees. From his personal letters, drawings from various eras of his life and even his signature brush strokes. Part One is as if Van Gogh is showing us the world through his own eyes.
Speaking of Part One, project director Jillian Wilson said: “Many highlights like ‘The Workers’ he frequently painted, or the influence Japanese art had on him slowly unfold all around you, in breathtaking succession. Throughout this section we discover the portraits of people that touched his life. The immersive experience brings us into the scenes of ‘The Potato Eaters' or ‘Almond Blossoms’ as if we were in them and they were alive around us.”
Part Two captures Van Gogh as he leaves Paris and moves to the South, ‘searching for the light’. We stroll around fields in Arles with him, seeing Van Gogh's visionary take on perspective and horizon. We take our time in his Bedroom in Arles and inside his renowned Sunflowers scenery.
The AI part of this show is the most spectacular, as it makes use of an entire catalogue of over 2000 artworks
Jillian Wilson says: “Many scenes innovatively interpret the signature elements of his life or style. We occupy his subconsciousness here, particularly composed of what he painted while in his room at the asylum. And you feel like you are in his mind and thoughts at this time.”
Part Three launches us right into Van Gogh's hallmark scenes and paintings. The scene evolves as we experience being under that signature painted sky of Starry Night or laying in Wheatfields with Crows.
Then, the journey takes us into the more abstract scenes of Van Gogh’s style. A scene inspired by his famous painting techniques, like brush strokes, where we experience them in person through a futuristic environment.
Jillian Wilson continues: “The AI part of this show is the most spectacular, as it makes use of an entire catalogue of over 2000 artworks: paintings, drawings and letters. By categorising and analysing them, they learn Van Gogh’s style, his colour palette, they also generate paintings in his style. It’s truly a one of a kind experience.”
Tickets are available at vangoghdublin.com. The show is running in The Shelbourne Hall of the RDS from May 16th to August 4th. The RDS was one of very few Irish venues that could facilitate a technical marvel of this scale and impact. All Covid-19 rules and guidelines will be strictly followed.
Follow Van Gogh Dublin on Instagram here: @vangoghdublinrds.
Ticket prices:
- Adult: €25.00
- Child 5-12 years: €15.00
- Concessions (Student/OAP) €23.00
- Under 5s: Free (but must have a ticket)
*Booking fees will apply.