Imagine Van Gogh Opens in Edmonton
After a long awaited delay, the Imagine Van Gogh: The Immersive Exhibition global tour finally opens its Edmonton stop. The highly-acclaimed immersive art experience featuring over 200 works by Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh officially opened to the public on Tuesday, July 6, 2021 at the Edmonton Expo Centre.
We checked out the media preview on Monday. At the entrance, the guests that evening received swag which included an exhibition book and cute masks with the famed-artist’s paintings.
The experience includes 3 spaces: the gallery of literature, the main hall, and the gift shop. To maximize your experience, we recommend that visitors take their time in these spaces, as it is one-way flow.
Reading Gallery
The Reading Gallery (it’s what we’re calling it) contains 12 double-sided signs in both French and English (so 12 in English). These signs give a background of what is anticipated, as well as information about Van Gogh and background of the scenes in the show.
There are lit outlines to help guide distancing so that guests can feel safe and enjoy their timed-entry (no ticket sales at the door). With Alberta reopening, there are no site restrictions for masks.
View Reading Gallery 360 image here.
Main Gallery
The Main Gallery (again what we’re calling it) is what patrons in Edmonton are paying to see. Inside you’re immediately overwhelmed by how large the space is, both by the larger than life projections, and the musical soundtrack which accompanies the show. Here in the non-narrated show, you will see images of Van Gogh’s upbringing, early works and sketches, and some of his most well-known works. Below is a scene with portraits Van Gogh painted.
View portraits scene 360 image here.
A guest will feel like they are walking through a painting or enlarged gallery space. The technology used in the show is powered by Image Totale© which was first introduced in 1977. The projections were like nothing we’ve seen before, as we had no shadows which would normally appear beneath us.
View Sunflowers scene 360 image here if it doesn’t load properly.
Above is the scene from Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers. Below is The Starry Night scene from his most famous work.
View The Starry Night scene 360 image here if it doesn’t load properly.
Gift Shop
Visitors can take part of the immersive experience home by way of the gift shop as you exit the premise. There’s clothing, facemasks, books, prints, mugs, and many other interesting and unexpected items such as a bobblehead available for purchase.
General Information
In Edmonton, Imagine Van Gogh runs from July 6, 2021 to September 5, 2021 at the Edmonton Expo Centre. Admission price (plus tax) depends on the day of week selected. From Sundays through Wednesdays, it will cost $39.99 for Ages 11+ , $34.99 for children 5-11, and $34.99 each for groups of 4 or more. From Thursdays through Saturdays, it will cost $10 for each category. It is free for 4 years of age and under.
Vincent Willem Van Gogh (1853-1890) was a Dutch painter known for his post-impressionist style and his work was only celebrated after his death at 37 years of age in France. The largest collection of his works are displayed at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. His most expensive painting Dr. Gachet was sold in 1990 for USD $75 million.
Imagine Van Gogh: The Immersive Exhibition is part of a series of global travelling exhibitions which include Imagine Picasso and Imagine Monet. It should not be confused with Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience (opens in Calgary July 30, 2021) and Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit (opened in Toronto June 2020 and included a drive-in option added during you-know-what), which are two other projected light experiences also featuring Van Gogh. In Canada, Imagine Van Gogh: The Immersive Exhibition is also currently in Vancouver.
