Immersive exhibitions show the work of famous painters as a multimedia spectacle. But how much kitsch can art take?
Catherine Wissmann
Another quick red wine and then to lounge on the lounge cushions: In the “Monet’s Garden” exhibition, visitors can make themselves as comfortable as they are at home on the sofa. Couples chill here, teenagers snap selfies, children flit through the aisles. Unlike in the museum, there are no framed pictures, instead Monet’s works are projected onto large screens. In a Hamburg industrial hall, they take up the entire space, from the ceiling to the floor. Dots of blue, yellow and green dance across the surface. They dissolve the boundaries between artwork and scenery. The audience becomes part of the paintings: they lie on Monet’s summer meadows, swim between water lilies, become one with the painter’s impressionist work.