My parents started taking me to the Art Institute of Chicago when I was a child. They wanted to impart their love of art and expose me to its various styles and movements, from Classicism and Impressionism to Expressionism and Surrealism. These forays into the world of art were some of my favorite memories as I was growing up. And they planted the seeds for a lifelong appreciation of artists and their work.

Of course, I have my favorites, Vincent Van Gogh being one of them. A Post-Impressionist, the artist used line and color with incredible mastery, infusing his work with soul and intense passion. Though he only sold one painting in all his years, the beloved Dutch master became one of the most recognized painters of all time in the century following his death.

Van Gogh led a tortured and deeply troubled life, suffering from bouts of mental illness and great instability. Throughout it all, however, he continued painting. It was his lifeblood and means of creativity and self-expression. Sadly, Van Gogh committed suicide in 1870 at the age of thirty-seven. 

During his short lifetime, the artist completed over 2,000 works of art, including such famed pieces as “Starry Night,” “Bedroom in Arles,” “Sunflowers,” “Self-portrait with Bandaged Ear” and “The Potato-eaters.” 

“Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” celebrates the artist, his oeuvre and enduring legacy in unique fashion. The exhibition, which has opened in dozens of places across the country, is centered on a 20,000 square-foot light and sound spectacular, surrounding visitors with the artist’s greatest paintings.

Prior to entering the main venue, there are separate galleries that chronicle the artist’s life, his discovery of painting, style and technique, subject matter, influences and struggles through a series of informative panels and interactives. If you don’t know very much about Van Gogh, these displays will provide you with some good introductory background. 

You’ll then walk into a massive, spacious room, where you’ll experience the 360-degree production, featuring two-story, floor-to-ceiling, digital projections of the artist’s work, utilizing cutting-edge, video mapping technology. 

It’s like stepping into one painting after another, as you take in Van Gogh’s masterpieces splashed on the walls in all their brilliant colors. Synced instrumental music accompanies the ever-changing scenes, allowing you to be completely mesmerized by this inspiring and vibrant sensory feast. 

To learn more about Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience through the U.S. and Europe, visit vangoghexpo.com.