My Immersive Van Gogh Detroit Experience

Growing up in the ’90s, my dream was to be an artist. Back then, I thought that being an artist meant you were exclusively a painter and come to find out, Black girls weren’t encouraged to be artists. I eventually graduated from Wayne State with a degree in broadcast journalism and was lucky enough to hear about the “Van Gogh: Immersive Experience” as a writing assignment; the best of both worlds.

I saw the billboards popping up around the city, and the social media campaigns across my news feed. The artist-in-me longed to experience one of the most influential painters of all time in a new way.  “The Immersive Experience” is held at the legendary Detroit Carr Center founded in 1991. The center is dedicated to showcasing African American art from every discipline and from all around the country.

Walking in, I was greeted by smiling faces giving me instructions on the two experience rooms. Each room is on the same continuous loop. With my VIP ticket, I was allotted an Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit pillow cushion to sit with, an exclusive Van Gogh poster, and a $10 credit in the Van Gogh gift shop. The paintings showcased were “The Starry Night,” “Sunflowers,” “The Bedroom,” “Self-Portrait with Grey Felt Hat,” “Irises,” and “Skull of a Skeleton with Burning Cigarette.”

Each painting melts into each other with a perfect rhythm. Some paintings start with a black screen showing just a corner, then the center, as more and more of the painting is revealed. Some paintings began with a scene that correlated and blended in with the paintings and as a result, the music moved with each painting effortlessly. 

The first room is huge, complete with benches to sit, standing room and a balcony. In the first room I felt engulfed in each painting as the intensifying music played on speakers throughout. The walls, the ceiling, the floor and the audience bodies were covered with each painting. I looked down at my hand as the sunflowers covered my palm and fingers which glowed with the colors of vibrant gold and green. In the large room I felt one with each painting. 

Making my way to the smaller room that was equipped with fewer benches and mirrors to provide a more intimate experience, I peeked into the second room where the music felt louder, the colors seemed more vivid. Throughout each painting I felt a different emotion; gratitude, sorrow, love, and happiness. I thought to myself how, when, what was the inspiration behind each painting. 

After I was washed over with the beautiful mesmerizing views for an hour, I finally made my way down to the gift shop where there were a nice selection of magazines, key chains, light lanterns, apparel, home decor, rubik’s cubes, earrings, dog bones, and notebooks. I used my $10 credit to get a Van Gogh Sunflower Keychain.

On my way out, I expressed to the doorwoman how excited I was for the next Lighthouse experience titled “Immersive Klimt” that premiers September 10th. This exhibit will dive into the legend, rebel and genius Gustav Klimt, most famous for “The Kiss” and the “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer.”

She gave me the inside scoop that the Lighthouse Immersive company rented the Carr Center for the next few years for more experiences. Keep an eye out for Immersive King Tut, Immersive Frida Kahlo and more. Download the Lighthouse Immersive app for more information.