New Van Gogh exhibition at Belfast church offers art lovers immersive experience

Kerrie McGuigan takes in the award-winning experience at Carlisle Memorial Church. Credit: PA Images

An interactive exhibition celebrating the work of Vincent Van Gogh has opened at a church in Belfast.

The award-winning 360-degree digital art experience will be based at Carlisle Memorial Church until late February.

Evvie Bishop samples the work of Vincent Van Gogh in Belfast. Credit: PA Images
The exhibition is based at Carlisle Memorial Church until late February. Credit: PA Images

Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience invites visitors to step into more than 300 of the artist's sketches, drawings and paintings by using floor-to-ceiling digital projections in an expansive, two-storey central area.

It also includes hands-on drawing activities and virtual reality experiences in separate galleries within the 10,000 square foot area.

Evvie Bishop in Van Gogh's bedroom. Credit: PA Images
Credit: PA Images

The exhibition about the life of the Dutch post-impressionist painter premiered in a cathedral in Naples, Italy, in November 2018.

Since then, Exhibition Hub has presented the experience in multiple European cities and across the United States and, across its locations, welcomed more than 3.5million visitors in 2022.

An interactive exhibition celebrating the work of Vincent Van Gogh has opened at a church in Belfast. Credit: PA Images
Lucy Curran examines the work of Van Gogh in Belfast. Credit: PA Images

The company's chief executive and creative director, Mario Iacampo, said: "We are delighted to open Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience in Belfast.

"Our focus on total immersion starts from the moment you enter and stays with you long after you leave."

"This wholly new way to experience art provides our guests with a deeper appreciation of Van Gogh's genius in a truly transcendent environment."

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