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Soon you can “step into” Van Gogh’s iconic masterpieces
After the success of an outdoor exhibition that saw Van Gogh‘s paintings projected onto shipping containers in New Zealand, The Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields is bringing the same immersive event to the US this June.
The exhibition, titled THE LUME, will be produced in collaboration with Australian-based company Grande Experiences and will feature the Dutch painter’s most iconic works — including Starry Night, Almond Blossoms, and Irises. The paintings will be projected on the museum’s entire fourth floor and use nearly 150 state-of-the-art projectors to transform the Post-Impressionist masterpieces into a three-dimensional world that visitors can explore.
“I am very pleased that we have been able to partner with Grande Experiences to become the first museum in the country to fully embrace the future of digital exhibitions,” says Dr. Charles L. Venable, The Melvin & Bren Simon Director and CEO at Newfields. “My experience in other continents demonstrated how the combination of cutting-edge digital projection technology and great works of art can motivate new audiences to engage with art exhibitions.”
This will be the first exhibition of its kind to debut in Newfields’ 137-year history, and the first digital gallery experience of this scale to be held at an art museum in the United States. Visitors will see all of the trademarks of Van Gogh’s style — the vibrant colours and expressive brushstrokes — all come to life on a massive scale. The museum wants to engage new audiences to appreciate the arts in a different way and encourage more visitors.
“Welcoming diverse audiences is a major goal of Newfields, and we believe THE LUME Indianapolis will attract infrequent art museum visitors because they will be able to fully immerse themselves in an artist’s work in less formal ways than in a traditional gallery,” Dr. Venable continues. “THE LUME Indianapolis is more than an exhibition, it is an experience.”
Some critics argue that such social media–tailored ventures aren’t actually art. But Dr. Venable, disagrees. Instead, he explains that THE LUME offers the museum an opportunity to showcase “truly great art that we [would] never be able to borrow.”
The grand opening of the exhibition will include an accompaniment of classical music, as well as food and beverages, and retail opportunities. Tickets for THE LUME will be available for purchase ahead of its debut in June 2021. To learn more about this innovative exhibition, visit Newfields’ website.