“Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” is heading to Albany in late May, with tickets on sale today.
The exact location of the touring exhibit has yet to be announced and likely won’t be until shortly before it opens.
“The Immersive Experience” boasts a “20,000-square-foot light and sound spectacular featuring two-story projections of the artist’s most compelling works.” There is also a virtual reality component called “A Day in the Life of the Artist in Arles, France” where viewers can feel like they’re walking through some of Vincent van Gogh’s paintings. It comes at an additional cost to general admission, which starts at $32.20 for adults and $19.10 for children.
The Albany-bound exhibit has been touring since 2017 and is one of several similar Van Gogh exhibits on tour around the globe, which has led to some confusion for ticket-buyers. “Immersive Van Gogh,” “Imagine Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience,” “Van Gogh Alive” and “Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” are among some of the other touring exhibitions.
The Better Business Bureau posted a warning to ticket-buyers earlier this month.
“Art lovers beware! Several exhibits featuring post-impressionist artist Vincent Van Gogh are scheduled to tour select cities in North America, but they are offering different experiences. The soundalike names of the events are causing confusion, and some fans are frustrated that they bought tickets to one event but then realized it was not the one they wanted.”
“Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” is organized by Exhibition Hub and Fever.
According to the BBB, the latter has had more than 1,200 complaints filed against it over the years regarding not only the Van Gogh exhibit but also other events it features. Ticket buyers have raised concerns about refund turnaround times and the lack of communication surrounding changes in event status.
The BBB reached out to Fever last year and requested that it address the pattern of complaints, and Fever reported that it planned to grow its support team and adjust some policies regarding scheduled events. However, as of this month, the BBB noted persistent customer service issues concerning event cancellations and delayed refunds.
According to a story in the Times Union, Fever said the number of complaints is a small percentage compared to the 2 million tickets sold in the United States and doesn’t fairly represent the experiences of the millions who use Fever.
During its six-year run, “Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” has received accolades from various reviewers and is listed among the top 10 best new attractions by USA Today.
The Albany location will be announced a week before the event via email.
“We tend to keep the location of our venues a secret until closer to the time of opening, as we find this helps to build excitement and anticipation,” said Oliver Davies, a spokesperson for Fever.
Before purchasing tickets, the BBB recommends carefully checking event details, only buying from trusted vendors, watching for any red flags and using payment methods that come with protection.
“Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” will be in Albany from late May to August, according to Fever. It’ll be open from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Fridays; 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. Saturdays and holidays; and 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sundays. It’s expected to take between 60 and 75 minutes to tour.
For more information on “Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” visit vangoghexpo.com.