Van Gogh at the Drive-Thru? As Museums Remain on Lockdown, a Toronto Exhibition Is Treating Viewers to the Dutch Master’s Art in Their Cars

With social distancing
regulations in force, and many uncomfortable attending in-person
events, there has been a renewed interest in drive-in experiences.
The growing appeal of drive-in movies has inspired others to
experiment with live events such as drive-in concerts and raves—and
now, an art exhibition.

An immersive sound-and-light
show of Van Gogh paintings in Toronto, Canada, is experimenting
with the drive-in model after its original plans for a walk-through
exhibition were sunk by the public health situation. The exhibition
in Toronto has adapted to allow some visitors to take their cars
through the show while it remains impossible to stage the
blockbuster experience as planned.

“Presenting cultural events
during this time of COVID-19 is an incredible challenge and we are
saddened to see the cultural calendar in Toronto diminished as
almost all arts institutions have cancelled their events and laid
off their artists and staff,” the organizers of the event write in
a statement. “We have been working around the clock to come up with
innovative approaches that will make presenting ‘Immersive Van
Gogh’ safe for our audiences.”

The exhibition engulfs the
visitors in room-sized light projections of the Dutch painter’s
famous artworks, including Starry Night and Sunflowers, which are backed by an original
soundtrack. Set in a former newspaper printing factory,
visitors can experience part of the exhibition by car from June 18
to 28.

Fourteen cars at once will be
allowed to park inside to take in the 35-minute light show with
music. Tickets for the drive-in experience, priced at CAD$94.99,
are already sold out. The original was slated to open on May 1 but
the opening was pushed back as its organizers revamped their
concept. 

Art-directed by Massimiliano
Siccardi with music composed by Luca Longobardi, the exhibition has
been organized by the same company that staged the popular Atelier
des Lumières light show in Paris, which drew more than two million
visitors. While such blockbuster digital experiences were on
the rise in 2019, our new reality threatens their existence as
people are no longer comfortable being crammed together
inside.

The full exhibition is spread
across five storeys, and will reopen for walk-in visitors when it
is allowed by city officials. Visitors who buy tickets for the
drive-in preview can still view the rest of it on foot when it is
open, and it will now run for an extended period through the end of
September.

A statement on the website says
that they are setting the capacity for the walk-ins at 132 people,
which would allow 75 square feet per person (currently the public
health services in Canada recommend 21.5 square feet per
person).

“As devoted arts patrons, we are
deeply saddened by the impact of the virus on so many cultural
institutions and events here in Toronto and around the world,” the
exhibition producers say. “While we will remain vigilant, we also
believe in the resilience of culture in this great
city.”

The post Van Gogh at the Drive-Thru? As Museums Remain on
Lockdown, a Toronto Exhibition Is Treating Viewers to the Dutch
Master’s Art in Their Cars appeared first on artnet
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