The wait is finally over! Imagine Van Gogh has officially landed in Vancouver and is running now until August 29th, 2021.
What Is Imagine Van Gogh?
Imagine Van Gogh is a brand new approach to traditional art gallery methods. A total of 200 paintings are projected onto 20 screens by 52 HD video projectors. The collection consists of Van Gogh’s famous The Starry Night and Sunflowers as well as various works from 1888 to 1890. Not only is it a visual treat, this extraordinary experience is also accompanied by music from iconic Baroque and Classical composers such as Bach and Mozart.
While this particular Van Gogh exhibition was curated by Annabelle Mauger in collaboration with Julien Baron, the idea of an immersive exhibit, coined Image Totale©, was originally conceptualized by Albert Plécy. Instead of being a passive viewer, Plécy’s goal is to transform the viewer into an active spectator who is free to wander and explore in their own way.
Hours of Operation
Imagine Van Gogh is currently open from March 19th to August 29th, 2021.
From March to May, the exhibition is open daily from 9:00AM to 12:00AM midnight with last entry being an hour before closing. For summer months (June, July, and August), their hours of operation as as follows:
- Closed Mondays
- Tuesday to Friday from 10:00AM to 10:00PM (last entry)
- Saturday from 9:00AM to 11:00PM (last entry)
- Sunday from 9:00AM to 8:00PM
Ticket Prices
Adult tickets are $39.99 CAD per person from Monday to Thursday and $49.99 per person from Friday to Sunday. This is not inclusive of taxes or Imagine Van Gogh’s $6 online service fee.
In order to limit operating capacity for the health and safety of all attendees, tickets are sold by time slots and must be purchased in advance. More information can be found here.
Directions & Parking
The Vancouver Convention Centre is easily accessible via skytrain, and is a short walk from Waterfront Station. Whether you prefer to take public transit or drive, please refer to the above Google Maps for detailed directions.
In terms of parking, Impark and Westpark are the closest, most convenient parking lots.
Street parking is another alternative. My boyfriend and I parked along West Cordova Street. Parking for 75 minutes (from 7:50PM to 9:05PM) was $3.75. There is parking all along Canada Place as well. However, the time limit is 30 minutes max, which is not enough for you to see the entire exhibition.
COVID-19 Measures & What to Expect
My boyfriend and I had the pleasure of attending as media. That said, I was pleasantly surprised by how empty the venue was despite seeing numerous media visit reposts on Imagine Van Gogh’s Instagram Stories.
Even though I cannot speak to what the general public’s experience would be like, I do believe they are doing a great job with crowd control. Below is an occupancy statement directly from their website:
“In accordance with the framework proposed by the Government of British Columbia for safely restoring services such as museums, entry to the exhibit will be staggered by time to ensure a safe operating capacity for guests and staff and to ensure appropriate space for physical distancing.”
Here are a few additional things to keep in mind before you “Gogh”:
- Upon entering the convention centre, you are to fill out a Google questionnaire about your health and recent travel history
- Masks are required at all times
- Guests are to maintain a safe 2-meter social distance from others
- There is no coat check. Plan to travel light and avoid bringing large backpacks, as you will not be able to rest them on the ground.
- Everything is contactless i.e. do not touch the screens and don’t sit down for photos, etc.
- It takes 35 minutes to cycle through all 200 paintings and the exhibit lasts approximately one hour
- If you plan on purchasing souvenirs from the gift shop, pay with debit/credit (again, everything is contactless)
Additional Photos
My Thoughts
Overall, this was nothing short of an incredible night. It was refreshing to see Van Gogh’s paintings in a different light and I highly recommend getting your tickets before they sell out.
And if my photos don’t already convince you to visit, maybe this YouTube video will 😉
Don’t forget to check out these 50 Instagrammable places in Vancouver too!
Wow, what an extraordinary way to experience art! It’s a concept I’ve never seen before but would love to explore. It looks like a really great way to view famous paintings in a fun way that even the whole family would get into.
Hi Emma, you’re so right that this would make for a perfect family outing! Imagine Van Gogh is actually a travelling exhibition. Perhaps there’s one (coming) near you? 😉
Saw this in Toronto Summer of 2020 and loved it! I would highly recommend it and would see it again and again, it was that good. Last summer they offered both a walk in and a drive in, due to the pandemic. We choose the drive in. I would have liked to experience both.
That’s awesome, Renee! I actually saw photos for the Toronto one and had since been waiting for them to come to Vancouver. Also, I didn’t know there was a drive in option! That does sound accommodating for the pandemic although I personally prefer the walk!
This reminds me so much of Japan’s teamLab Borderless in Odaiba. I received notice that they will be opening an exhibit in Los Angeles this year and it’s already fully booked for the next 3 months. I can see why as your photos of the exhibit are amazing!
Right!? I love that digital art exhibitions are becoming more and more popular. That’s a bummer that LA is sold out though. Maybe there’ll be another opportunity for you to see it in the future 😀
I’m jealous! I’ve been wanted to visit this exhibition since my friend posted her pictures from this exhibition somewhere in Europe. I hope to see it one day myself.
Aww! Well it is a travelling exhibition so maybe it’s slowly making its way to your city!
Oooh this is coming to DC later this year and I was trying to decide if I wanted to go or not. I think you just convinced me! It’s looks so cool!
I’m so glad I could inspire you to visit, Maggie! You’d totally love the experience and I recommend getting tickets ASAP. They sell out super fast!!!