The “Van Gogh Alive: The Experience,” an immersive, multi-sensory art exhibition honoring the Dutch painter, came to a close in Denver this past Sunday, Sept. 26, after running for three months. The art exhibition was presented by the Denver Center for the Performing Arts in partnership with Grande Experiences in The Hangar at Aurora’s Stanley Marketplace. 

“Van Gogh Alive” is not your typical art exhibition, where visitors view artwork from afar in a quiet museum or gallery. Rather, this enchanting experience combines sound, light, color, fragrance, biographical information and quotes from Van Gogh himself to paint a picture of the tortured artist who never lived to see the worldwide fame he carries today.

The exhibition allows visitors to step into the life of Van Gogh, moving chronologically through the years 1880 to 1890, the period in which he made the majority of his masterpieces. More than 3,000 images appear on giant screens that fill the walls and even the floors, suffusing everything in color and moving in tune with ethereal classical music. To enhance the immersive experience, details of his paintings come to life: birds fly and windmills turn within the gold and blue landscapes. Additionally, Van Gogh’s own works are intermingled with photos, videos and other art pieces that inspired him. 

This one-of-a-kind experience is engaging, entertaining and educational. All ages are invited to attend and can sit, dance or simply walk around and explore the vibrant artwork and mind of Van Gogh. Adding to the interactive experience, the exhibition offers real-life replicas of Van Gogh’s paintings, such as a 3D installation of the famous “Bedroom in Arles” in which visitors can sit on the furniture and examine the room up close. 

While the exhibit has ended in Denver, it continues to run in cities across the world, even in Van Gogh’s homeland of the Netherlands.

“Van Gogh would have really loved this experience because it expresses art through vision and through music,” said the Regional Envoy of the Netherlands, Willemijn Van Haaften.

If you missed Van Gogh Alive and want to experience something similar, the “Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit” opens in Denver on Sept. 30, 2021. This exhibit is another digital, multi-sensory installation of Van Gogh’s artwork that is bound to be just as unforgettable as “Van Gogh Alive”. Mesmeric art exhibits like these are reimagining the ways in which art can be showcased, as well as immortalizing the legacy of brilliant artists such as Van Gogh.