Overview
Some things are just so stunning that they need to be seen multiple times, and getting to walk through Vincent van Gogh's dazzling artworks at Melbourne's multi-sensory digital art gallery The Lume is clearly one of them. So, the popular exhibition that it first opened with, and that's also toured a version around the country, will come alive again in the Victorian capital from Boxing Day 2024.
Made your own Lego version of The Starry Night? Next, you can walk through the iconic painting projected large across the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Arriving a few weeks after Leonardo da Vinci — 500 Years of Genius closes in early December, the timing of the experience's return means that you'll be able to pair summer's sunny days with some sunflowers.
The big two will be back, of course — aka two of van Gogh's most popular works transformed into vivid new guises. Again, when you see The Starry Night, you'll actually be walking through it as it takes over an entire room. Love Sunflowers (the painting, as well as the plant)? Then get ready for the immersive Sunflower room, where golden petals stretch as far as the eye can see.
A family-friendly experience, the van Gogh exhibition creates the sensation of diving right into the Dutch artist's paintings — and you definitely won't feel like you're just standing in an ordinary gallery. Attendees encounter van Gogh's world-famous works in fine detail thanks to state-of-the-art technology from the Melbourne-based Grande Exhibitions, which is behind The Lume. Think: high-definition projectors throwing 360-degree images onto four-storey-high walls in a 3000-square-metre gallery, with a classical musical score accompanying the vibrant colours, too, as presented in cinema-quality surround sound.
While plenty will be familiar when the experience brightens up Melbourne again — including an immersive cafe inspired by the artist's Café Terrace at Night and an artist studio where you can learn the techniques behind his pieces — Finding Vincent in shared VR is making its global premiere, taking the idea of stepping into van Gogh's creativity up another level.
"We have always embraced the fusion of art and technology to reimagine how audiences engage with masterpieces. This shared VR innovation is the latest step in that evolution, merging creativity with cutting-edge digital capability to create moments of awe that go beyond the traditional gallery visit," says Grande Experiences and The Lume Melbourne founder Bruce Peterson.
Van Gogh at The Lume opens at The Lume, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, 5 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf, Melbourne, from Thursday, December 26, 2024 — head to the venue's website for tickets and further information.
Images: Morgan Sette / Miles Noel Photography / Grande Experiences.