Immersive Beyond Van Gogh experience arrives in Aberdeen

The talents behind Beyond Van Gogh take the immersive experience to Aberdeen’s P&J Live and invite you to get lost in the artist’s work as it blossoms and melds before your eyes. Grant Dickie went to see the wonders for himself.

Van Gogh has always been an artist I admire, so the idea of seeing his works turned into immersive, moving pieces on a massive scale, really excited me.

The journey begins in a room filled with quotes taken from Van Gogh’s many letters as you walk through rows of frames, discovering more of the man behind the easel, before stepping into the next room and getting your first taste of the immersive experience.

Watch, as before you, shapes swim and cascade across the wall emulating Van Gogh’s pointillism technique he is famously known for. Don’t move on too quickly or you will miss these shapes take the form of Van Gogh himself from one of his self-portraits before melting and spilling down onto the floor. The perfect tease of what is to come.

Now, enter the main hall and prepare yourself for a spectacle; you’ll want to orient yourself in the centre of the room for this next bit. Grab a seat or get comfortable on the floor, but you’ll want to have a good view and be able to see as much of the wall surface as possible.

Credit Peter Freeth

Colours bloom across the walls as paintings take shape before your eyes, growing and merging to create walls of art. The paintings will move as you watch and even blink back at you as you gaze upon them. You will be treated to marvels such as Van Gogh’s various sunflower studies, Café Terrace at Night and the iconic The Starry Night.

All this is curated to a relaxing soundtrack, it is easy to lose yourself in the experience. The only thing that would have made the experience perfect – and I really am nit-picking here, it may not even have been possible – would have been if there was a ‘ceiling’ that hid the projectors without obscuring their function, really enclosing you in the space with the artwork.

I could have sat for a lot longer watching the art shift before me, however the tickets are time limited to ensure everyone gets a fair turn in the space.

Annerin Productions and Paquin Entertainment Group have definitely created something special here. The experience will be in the Granite City until 10 August, so make sure to get along while you can. And if the regular experience isn’t quite enough to whet your whistle, why not try the yoga and pilates or ‘Paint and Sip’ offerings?

Now that I’ve seen their wonderful Beyond Van Gogh experience, I’d be keen to see how they do their Monet experience.

To find out more about Beyond Van Gogh visit https www.beyondvangogh.co.uk/aberdeen-on-sale-now

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