Imagine stepping into a painting by Vincent van Gogh.
The colors swirl around you and the images of landscapes and self-portraits by the 19th century Post-Impressionist artist suck you into a 360-degree virtual world.
That’s what you will experience when “Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” comes to Oro Valley Marketplace, 12155 N. Oracle Road, in late July.
Three hundred works by Van Gogh will be projected on every square foot of the former World Market store in Oro Valley Marketplace beginning in late July.
“It allows the interactive portion to be deconstructed so that you can see how the art is put together. You are immersed in it,” said Paul Melcher, director of Oro Valley Community and Economic Development, who experienced a similar show in Paris years ago. “It’s one of those times where you walk out and it’s that amazing transcendental experience you want from art.”
Dates for the exhibit have not been released pending town permits for emergency exits and public safety measures, Melcher said, but tickets (starting at $24.90 for adults, $14.90 for children) go on sale at 9 a.m. Thursday, June 29, through vangoghexpo.com/tucson.
The exhibit will be open Thursdays through Mondays.
The immersive exhibit will be housed in the expansive retail space that was home to Cost Plus World Market and will feature cutting-edge digital projections and groundbreaking virtual reality that organizers say brings to life 300 Van Gogh paintings.
“Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” will feel like stepping inside one of the Post-Impressionist master’s paintings.
More than 5 million people have seen “Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” since its creator, Exhibition Hub, launched it in 2017. The exhibit is presented in partnership with Fever, a global “live-entertainment discovery platform.”
Melcher said landing the exhibit in Oro Valley reinforces the northwest-side town’s arts and culture reputation. The town, which emphasizes public community arts for new developments, is home to the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance, which has a long history of presenting arts and cultural events throughout the region and the greater Tucson area.
“(Having the exhibit) reinforces our status as a premier arts and culture community,” Melcher said.
“This experience is perfectly at home in the Tucson area’s lively arts and entertainment scene, which honors cultural diversity and truly appreciates artistic achievement,” Exhibition Hub CEO Mario Iacampo said in a written release.
Visitors to “Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” will see paintings from the 19th century Post-Impressionist artist projected on walls, floors and ceilings.
