'Immersive Van Gogh' exhibit allows Pittsburghers to go inside the art
Western Pennsylvanians can finally immerse themselves in the long-awaited Vincent Van Gogh exhibition coming to Pittsburgh.
Members of the media on Thursday were given a preview of the upcoming exhibition on Pittsburgh’s North Side.
Paintings don’t just hang on the wall. They surround viewers. Sounds are synced as the art appears. Pillars inside the former warehouse have been covered in mirrors and distort some of the pictures.
The “Original Immersive Van Gogh Pittsburgh” experience opens Oct. 21 at Lighthouse Artspace on Lacock Street.
Most of the tickets for October and November are sold out, but more should be available in the upcoming months. Capacity is 190 people.
The show will be open daily.
The exhibition will be in Pittsburgh for at minimum six months, longer if there is a demand. Pittsburgh is one of 20 cities with the exhibit, which is co-produced by Impact Museums and Lighthouse Immersive. More than 3 million tickets have been sold.
No two cities’ exhibits look alike.
“It’s not just about art,” said Vito Iaia, co-founder of Impact Museums and co-producer of this show. “It’s about emotion. This is a new way to experience art. Usually when you experience art, people gather around a painting. Here, the art envelops the people.”
Iaia said one reason they chose Pittsburgh is because he is a Steelers fan. It also is the No. 2 city per capita in the U.S. behind New York in arts attendance, he said. This part of the North Side was selected because of its proximity to the Downtown cultural district, the Andy Warhol Museum, the sports stadiums, the river trail and the Strip District.
Pittsburgh is the newest of the 20 locations in the U.S. presenting the show.
Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) was born in The Netherlands, and became fluent in French, German and English. Part of the post-Impressionist movement, he painted more than 2,000 artworks ranging from ordinary household items and self-portraits to surreal landscapes. Van Gogh struggled with mental illness. He moved to France in his 30s and died of suicide at age 37.
The show’s creative director, Rowan Doyle, said via a video message that the show is a new way of consuming art.
“It’s a show that is meaningful,” she said. “We chose paintings that represented Van Gogh’s life. There are beautiful moments.”
They’ve incorporated the Sixth Street Bridge, Downtown Pittsburgh and a Steelers football helmet into the images.
The show is 35-40 minutes long.
The walls are 20 feet high on the 33,000-square-foot building.
Van Gogh loved bright colors and painted in orange and yellow; the many sunflowers in the show reflect that. More than 400 images are featured.
“Pittsburgh is an art-loving city,” said Leisha Bereson, vice president of marketing for Impact Museums. “The mirrors create another diversion and can be viewed as a self reflection and a view into the life of Van Gogh.”
Timed tickets are $29.99 to $99.99 and available here.
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region’s diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of “A Daughter’s Promise.” She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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