This summer, the stunning Kensington Gardens will host Van Gogh Alive, ‘the world’s most visited immersive, multi-sensory experience’ that exhibits the life and work of the seminal Dutch artist. The first event to be hosted in this prestigious location since 2016, visitors will be treated to a truly world-class cultural experience in the heart of one of London’s most loved Royal Parks.
Having welcomed over 7 million visitors in 65 cities around the world including its most recent sell-out run in Sydney, Australia, where it dazzled audiences in a Covid-safe environment, Van Gogh Alive, the immersive Van Gogh experience produced by Grande Experiences, promises to be one of the highlights of this summer’s event calendar when it opens its doors from 4 June to 26 September 2021.
Tickets will go on sale at 9am on Wednesday 24 March priced from £24.00 for adults and £14.00 for children, with concessions available. A limited number of dates are also available for companies or individuals interested in hosting an exclusive private viewing to entertain up to 350 clients, employees or family in a unique Covid-safe environment.
Presented by the independent financial advisory firm Timothy James & Partners, Van Gogh Alive allows you to experience the artist like never before. This blockbuster multi-sensory experience completely immerses you in the life and work of Vincent van Gogh as you travel through periods of his life that defined him as an artist. Experience over 3,000 images from the artist that are spectacularly presented with stunning detail, including iconic works like Starry Night, Sunflowers and lesser-known paintings that were inspired by his love of Japanese woodprints.
State-of-the-art SENSORY4™ immersive gallery technology immaculately displays Van Gogh’s work in a kaleidoscope of colour. Set to an evocative classical score that is delivered via a high-fidelity 3D sound system, this combination of sound, visuals and aromas of Provence will give visitors the sensation of walking right into his paintings as if they are living and breathing.
Van Gogh Alive will also feature an interpretive area where you can learn more about Van Gogh’s life and works as well as interactive art stations where you can create your own art with the help of expert video tutorials.
Visitors can create their own souvenirs within a life sized walk-in representation of Van Gogh’s ‘Bedroom in Arles’ painting and the iconic ‘Sunflower selfie room’ – a 360° mirrored room complete with hundreds of sunflowers that has delighted Instagram feeds the world over. Create your own modern masterpiece in theses spectacular rooms and share your images using #VanGoghAliveLondon.
Once visitors have finished immersing themselves in the life and works of Van Gogh and perused the Gift Shop stacked full of premium Van Gogh themed merchandise, they will be able to relax and refuel in the beautiful “Café Provençale” where they can enjoy a delicious array of food and a glass of award-winning Hambledon’s English Sparkling Wine whilst watching the world go by inside the stunning Kensington Gardens.
Van Gogh Alive has partnered with three amazing charities to use the experience as a platform to help them raise vital funds to continue their incredible work. The three charities are SHOUT 85258 who are a free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone who is struggling to cope with their mental health, Global’s Make Some Noise who support small charities helping some of the most disadvantaged people in communities across the UK, and Kingston Hospital Charity who works with its partner hospital to help provide outstanding patient-centred care that is over and above what is possible with NHS funding alone.
Alun Mainwaring, Head of Events at The Royal Parks said: “This is an imaginative, powerful and unique experience that allows people to get closer to Van Gogh than ever before and it’s incredibly moving. The experience is accessible, educational and a masterclass in using technology to reimagine the way people experience art. And of course hosted at Kensington Gardens it’s a beautiful backdrop to celebrate and enjoy one of the world’s greatest artists.”
Bruce Peterson, Owner of Grande Experiences, said: “After mesmerising a global audience of over 7 million people and selling-out cities all over the world, including Rome, Sydney and Milan, we’re incredibly excited that Van Gogh Alive sees the artist return to London, a city he loved and in which he lived for a short period of his life. This is an unforgettable cultural experience for all the family.”
Victoria Hornby, CEO of Mental Health Innovations, the charity behind the Shout 85258 service that was publicly launched in 2019 with funding from The Royal Foundation, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Van Gogh Alive on this stunning immersive experience. Our partnership will generate vital funds to help train many more Shout Volunteers to support hundreds of thousands of people with their mental health. Shout 85258 provides free, 24/7 mental health support to anyone who is struggling to cope. Van Gogh’s own struggles with his mental health are well documented and this event represents a unique opportunity for us to come together to both celebrate his life and work, and to raise awareness of the support available from Shout, at a time when so many people have been struggling with their mental health.”
Tim Whiting, Founder and Managing Director of presenting partner Timothy James & Partners, said: “I am delighted that Timothy James & Partners is the presenting partner of Van Gogh Alive, which promises to be a smash hit in London this summer. As a business who prides itself on providing expert financial planning and investment advice with a personal touch, we cannot wait to once again enjoy some face to face time with our clients and their families as we come together to enjoy Van Gogh Alive inside the spectacular Kensington Gardens. In addition to the hospitality and business development opportunities we will enjoy through the partnership with Van Gogh Alive, we also hope to raise much needed funds for Kingston Hospital Charity who will help transform the care environments for children with cancer.”
This large-scale immersive art experience provides a COVID safe environment that exceeds government public health guidelines. Controlled visitor capacities and managed visitor flow mean visitors can easily respect government social-distancing guidelines and enjoy the experience safely.
Van Gogh’s works have been exhibited and admired for over a century – but never like this.