The Van Gogh Immersive Experience “Fantasy of the Inner World” opened at the National Museum of China on June 22. This is the first time that this 107-year-old museum abandoned the traditional form of a physical exhibition in favor of a high-tech immersive experience.

Featuring more than 200 licensed holographic video images of the Post-Impressionist genius, the exhibition reconstructs his artwork using 360-degree holographic panoramic ultra-high-definition laser projection equipment and virtual reality technology.

A visitor draws a picture at the interactive painting area during the Van Gogh Immersive Experience “Fantasy of The Inner World” at the National Museum of China, Beijing, June 22, 2019.[Photo/Xinhua]

The exhibition brings Van Gogh’s paintings to life, projecting them on the walls, ceilings, and floors of a former foundry, accompanied by music.

Immersed in the environment of his canvases famed for their rich palette, viewers find themselves standing on moving images of Sunflowers, on a narrow pathway leading to The Cafe Terrace at Night, counting stars in The Starry Night.

A child visits an immersive exhibition area during the Van Gogh Immersive Experience “Fantasy of The Inner World” at the National Museum of China, Beijing, June 22, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]

According to the exhibition planner of National Museum, the real value of digital art in the information era lies in introducing new media digital technology into the field of aesthetics to magnify people’s attention to their ways of seeing, physical experience and circumstance. Guided by Van Gogh, the imagination and scientific creativity of art complement each other. Even without the presence of the original work, aesthetic experience can also be obtained by highlighting ideas and emphasizing the sense of presence. National Museum’s attempt to hold this immersive experience exhibition is based on such a concept.