The installation I'm talking about is the Detroit Van Gogh Experience. Upon entering, guests are greeted with pale walls and friendly guides. It was around $40 per person when I went- for the basic package. An upgraded package granted you a poster and a rentable cushion for sitting. The rooms are tall with projections of videos containing Van Gogh's works. It's quite loud. I was covering my ears when in the room. Not to mention, the rooms are absolutely frigid. As an artist with work inspired by Van Gogh, I loved the experience. I wish there were physically interactive elements. It was merely immersive. Even the floor featured projections.
My family is not one for art. The boredom was evident in all expressions. There were two rooms, both playing the same video, one larger, one smaller. Again, music was blaring. I did find the history of his works intriguing. They detailed on a wall his life. They explained his mental health issues, how his art came to be, how it was sold, and over timelines. Again, interesting. Now, would I buy the tickets again? No. The show didn't even last 10 minutes before it looped. I was rather disappointed. When I heard immersive, I thought I'd walk into a room that appears as his paintings. I thought I'd actually see paint on walls, ceiling, and floor. There were no activities for children or to hold their interest. Typically art installations have something to keep a viewer engaged. There was nothing. Even older art enjoyers were disappointed.
Don't get me started on the gift shop. As we know, gift shops are part of the experience. A SATIN scarf was over $100. A book was also pricey. Even socks were over $50. I asked a worker for a poster and she handed me one saying they had way too many. Otherwise, I would've had to pay for the $80 ticket.
Overall, I was disappointed with the installation. I expected more for the price.
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