Step Inside a Van Gogh Painting at This Dreamy Exhibit in the U.S.

Step into the world of one of the world's most influential painters.

In 2021, the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields in Indianapolis, Indiana, opened an immersive experience dedicated to the works of Vincent Van Gogh called The Lume.

The multisensory experience was created by Australian-based company Grande Experiences and is similar to other Van Gogh experiences around the world.

Among other immersive exhibitions was the Van Gogh nuit étoilée which debuted in Paris in 2019. The show also traveled to Toronto as a socially distanced, drive-through show in 2020.

"After five years of research into art consumer motivation and innovative digital exhibitions in Asia, Australia, and Europe, we are thrilled to unveil The Lume Indianapolis at Newfields," said Dr. Charles L. Venable, The Melvin & Bren Simon Director and CEO at Newfields, in a statement before its opening last year. "Welcoming diverse audiences is a major goal of Newfields, and we believe The Lume Indianapolis will attract infrequent art museum visitors because they will be able to fully immerse themselves in an artist's work in less formal ways than in a traditional gallery."

This immersive experience in Indianapolis takes up 30,000 square feet on the museum's fourth floor, making it the largest continuous exhibition space in Newfields' 139-year history.

The Lume features almost 150 state-of-the-art high-definition projectors that can transform two-dimensional paintings into a three-dimensional world guests can explore. There are nearly 3,000 moving images of Van Gogh's paintings, set to classical music, including Sunflowers and The Starry Night. In addition, guests can partake in food and beverage elements of the exhibit. This is the first-time art lovers have been able to experience a digital gallery of this scale and sophistication at an art museum in the United States.

Tickets for The Lume Indianapolis at Newfields are currently available for purchase until the exhibition closes in May 2022. For more information, visit the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields website.

Andrea Romano is a freelance writer and art lover in NYC. Follow her on Twitter @theandrearomano.