Embodied Immersive Leha Choppara
M
eander through scenes from worldfamous artists, step into a matrix of lights that extend into an endless void, or put on a VR headset that puts you at the center of it all. This is immersive art, a polarizing term most people would react to with either strong appreciation or disdain — there is little in-between. Yet, no matter one’s opinion on the medium, the rising popularity of immersive art is undeniable. Perhaps the most (in)famous instance is the Van Gogh “Immersive Experience,” where the post-impressionist master’s work is blown up and projected onto an exhibition space, accompanied with atmospheric music, animation, and curated scents. Though art critics disparage immersive exhibits as vapid and uninspired, museums are taking note of
Worlds, Art
their success and artists are finding ways to innovate and create in the medium. The highest profile immersive art exhibits are those that display the most commonly recognisable artists, the likes of Van Gogh, Kahlo, Monet, and Klimt. They’re set up to be family friendly, parsing artworks into easily accessible formats and revamping them with special effects. A large part of them is exactly that— their scale. Entering the space swathes you in the art, and the whole affair is made out to be a spectacle. Despite ticket prices as high as $30 for the Monet Experience — which may seem excessive when compared to the €13 to see actual Monets at the Musée d’Orsay —
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