Van Gogh London Exhibit: The Immersive Experience — Attraction in London

My anticipation for the Vincent van Gogh exhibition in London was immense. Images online and glowing descriptions painted a picture of an immersive journey into the world of a tormented genius, a vibrant exploration of his iconic works. What I experienced, however, felt like a cruel joke, a far cry from the artistic pilgrimage I had envisioned, and frankly, a blatant rip-off. The first sign of trouble was the location itself. Tucked away in a back alley, in what could charitably be described as a run-down warehouse, finding the venue felt like navigating a poorly marked treasure hunt. The peeling paint and general air of neglect should have been my first warning sign. Stepping inside did little to alleviate my growing unease. Instead of a carefully curated space designed to enhance the appreciation of Van Gogh's masterpieces, I was met with uneven floors and a distinct lack of care. The staff seemed equally disengaged, their indifference adding to the already lackluster atmosphere. It felt as though we, the paying public, were an unwelcome inconvenience. But the true disappointment lay in the "exhibition" itself. For the hefty price tag of £83, what I encountered was nothing more than a handful of pictures haphazardly displayed on walls. There was no sense of immersion, no narrative flow, no attempt to truly connect the viewer with Van Gogh's life and artistic process. It felt like a lazy, bare-bones presentation, utterly devoid of the passion and vibrancy that define his work. The experience left me feeling utterly deflated and, frankly, ripped off. I had envisioned being surrounded by the brilliance of his brushstrokes, perhaps even experiencing some form of interactive or thoughtfully designed display that would bring his art to life. Instead, I was left staring at a few static images in a depressing environment, feeling like I'd been lured into a poorly executed scam. The stark contrast between the promised experience and the grim reality was jarring. The glowing online presence felt like a deliberate misrepresentation, preying on the public's desire to connect with a legendary artist. Instead of feeling inspired and moved, I left feeling cheated and deeply disappointed. This wasn't an exhibition; it was a cynical cash grab that did a profound disservice to the legacy of Vincent van Gogh. I urge anyone considering this exhibition to think twice before parting with their hard-earned money. Your appreciation for Van Gogh deserves far better than this dismal and...

Terrible experience – I would recommend avoiding this overhyped event.

As someone who has lived in London for the past five years, I’ve visited many projections and art exhibitions, but this is the first time I’ve ever felt compelled to complain about the entire experience.

The space was completely different from what was advertised—nothing like the TikTok videos. It was just a sad white tent with simple projectors on all four sides, the kind that shine directly into your face, making it obvious where they are. This had nothing in common with proper immersive rooms. The ceiling was static, featuring a few stars that didn’t change, so in reality, this was not an immersive experience.

In various videos and promotions, people mentioned four immersive rooms. However, when I tried to continue exploring the exhibition, I realized that the only other two areas in the tent were the toilets and the gift shop. Essentially, there was just one room where graphics were projected.

The music was terrible—not aligned with the artwork at all. The graphics moved painfully slowly, and the room was quite bright, so you could see everyone awkwardly trying not to look bored. The visual effects were low-quality, with random thunder and strange bits of flowers and fire—it just looked awful.

The space was also uncomfortably cold, with random old heaters scattered around. The staff rushed us through the experience. We asked if we could see the immersive room first and then continue, and they said yes. But 30 minutes later, when we tried to go back, they told us it was closed.

On top of that, you have to pay an extra £3 to access one of the exhibition areas, which turned out to be a sad room with old laptop screens. The main exhibition area, where the artwork was supposed to be, was a complete scam—just prints, with no real artwork on display. The famous painting with the bed was shockingly small and disappointing.

It’s frustrating to see how they exploit art to create something this bad—just a quick cash grab. I paid £40 for two tickets for an absolutely terrible experience. There are far better places in London, like Frameless or 180 Studios. Just...

Underwhelmed by the experience. This was on my wish list for a while, and I travelled on a day out from Devon on the train for what I thought would be an exciting, stimulating exhibition. I expected as advertised, 90 minutes of an ‘immersive’ experience. What I got was a couple of rooms of poor quality poster prints showing Van Gogh’s famous works, (photographs would be better showing depth of brush strokes) a 5 minute film on a loop, a kids’ crayon drawing room; and a room of his famous bedroom. I then paid the extra for the VR experience which lasted 10 minutes. The first 3 mins my headset seemed to be out of focus, until I moved it around to find that there was a better focal point by subtle adjustment - maybe that was luck, but the assistant didn’t explain if that was necessary. The VR images were good, and it was interesting to move through his paintings. The seat was not appropriate for me - a bar stool with little back rest meant turning 360 with feet not firmly in the ground, was not stable for me. I completed the experience, VR included, in 20 minutes, and thought maybe I had missed some rooms out - I can’t see how anyone could spend 90 minutes in there, unless they do lots of crayoning, or sit in the deck chairs in the projection room at the end and go to sleep. The gift shop at the end had the usual merch you’d expect, but all the stunning paintings had a large ‘Van Gogh Immersive Exhibition’ logo printing over the images, ruining them. I’d be turning in my grave if I were Van Gogh, if a promoter was using my works of art, to promote themselves. I actually felt upset by this, that commercial hype could spoil works of art. Underwhelmed, and an over priced exhibition. I recommend going to the National Gallery to see an actual painting, not poor quality poster prints. The only plus I could think, is that those who like a digital VR experience, but wouldn’t necessarily go to a gallery, could access an artist’s works that they might not...