Close your eyes, then reopen them to find yourself in the middle of the wheat fields painted by Van Gogh in July 1890, just before his death. Follow on the walls the flight of crows, birds of bad omen, which announce the torments of the Dutch painter who ended his life some time later.
Lying in a deckchair, their eyes glued to the scrolling paintings, visitors to “The Immersive Experience” will discover from this Wednesday part of the work of the cursed artist, staged within the EDF Bazacle space, In Toulouse. Of the Sunflowers at thealmond blossom Passing by The starry Night, this (almost) 360° exhibition takes the public into a different artistic experience, which comes to life everywhere, except on the ceiling, thanks to the video mapping process. Where we usually contemplate a work, this immersion allows us to appropriate it, to put back into motion the subjects that inspired the artist.
“In the works of Van Gogh, there is a search for bright, vibrant colors. For him, it was a kaleidoscope of emotions. With this exhibition, we allow ourselves to be immersed in his creations, all these color contrasts end up having a therapeutic effect and each time the public sees something different, they can take the time they want”, assures Fabio di Gioia of the Exhibition Hub company, responsible for more than 90 exhibitions and immersive experiences around the world.
Already 30,000 pre-bookings
This is the first time that the one around Vincent Van Gogh has been offered in France, after having been seen by 5 million people around the world. And it is in an atypical place, which could have fascinated the artist, that she takes up residence: a hydroelectric plant created in 1888 to supply the Toulouse tramway and which is still in operation today. “That year, Van Gogh is 35 years old and it is the period when he will produce his most beautiful works. At the same time, in this factory, we were producing kilowatts. Electricity which is now used to supply this exhibition with sound and light,” points out Franck Darthou, director of EDF hydro Sud-Ouest, owner of this space, which is both an exhibition and a production site.
And it is in an old turbine room, where the noise of the current ones persists, that the painter’s famous bedroom has been reconstructed to complete the immersion. A little further on, panels explain the life of the painter, his ten-year prolific career where he created more than 2,000 works and only sold one during his lifetime. Whereas today they trade at millions of euros.
In another room, seated on high stools and headphones riveted to their eyes, for an additional four euros, visitors have the option of extending the visit with a virtual reality journey lasting 11 minutes. Find the couple of reapers leaning on a haystack immortalized by the painter in Nap or even the atmosphere of the wheat fields repeatedly laid out on the canvas is quite stunning.
And if by mid-November nearly 85,000 visitors are expected by the organizers, the idea of living this experience is already being emulated, because 30,000 people have already pre-booked their place.
*From July 6 until mid-November, open every day except Tuesday. Weekend until 11 p.m. Price: From 10 to 15 euros.