Should I go to Gogh by Car Exhibit in Toronto? Absolutely!

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“Oh, look mom… that’s one of my favourites” Those are the kind of words you want to hear from your children when they are looking at a painting. Which one I wondered as the scenery morphed into something else. Was it Van Gogh’s bedroom, Sunflowers or Starry Night? Which one of his masterpieces has reminded her of a visit to a museum?

We’ve been going to art museums since they were young children. I’ve patiently sat with them as we talked about my most loved Seurat painting at the Art Insitute of Chicago, a Tom Thompson at the AGO or Van Gogh’s Starry Night at MoMa. But alas we can only visit museums virtually these days.

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As much as we want to go outside and throw caution to the wind, we still need to maintain social distancing protocols. With all Toronto museums currently closed and moving online, it was a pleasant surprise to come across an exhibit where you’ll safely be able to get your fine art fix while keeping other art lovers a safe six feet apart. Welcome to Gogh by Car!

The Immersive Van Gogh exhibit had a different venue in mind. The goal was to usher 500 patrons per hour through this immersive multimedia exhibit. Then COVID-19 happened and the producers of the production had to re-think it all. By changing venues to the 600,000 cubic square foot Toronto Star building, they were able to reinvent the experience by creating a drive-in art exhibit.

The Immersive Van Gogh exhibit is designed and conceived by Massimiliano Siccardi, with a soundtrack by Luca Longobardi, who both pioneered immersive digital art experiences in France with Atelier des Lumières. The show’s producers licensed over 400 images of Vincent Van Gogh paintings from around the word. They deconstructed them and then created a multimedia show seamlessly illustrating Van Gogh’s works of art.

The reason this show is so great is you are surrounded by Van Gogh’s masterpieces. The images let you see the individual brush strokes and objects found in different paintings. More importantly, the visual effects have you completely immersed in his paintings. The soundtrack lends drama to the presentation and adds to the overall experience. I cannot say enough about how enjoyable it was to watch.

My only REAL criticism is it was too short. It will go by way too quickly. The content is so interesting but because it is a 360-degree experience, you feel you missed out if you are not spinning around continuously. This was the challenge when we were watching the show from our car.

The walk-thru exhibition will provide a better view of the exhibit as there will be circles projected on the floor where individuals will be allowed to stand (but not move through the space freely). I hope to return with my ticket when that option is available – a bonus when you purchase the Gogh by Car! experience.

This reminds me of the multimedia shows produced by the Quebec geniuses at Moment Factory at Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal or Avudo, produced by Finzi Pasca, for Montreal’s 375 Anniversary.

The body of work is extensive and this installation includes the Mangeurs de pommes de terre (The Potato Eaters, 1885), the Nuit étoilée (Starry Night, 1889), Les Tournesols (Sunflowers, 1888), and La Chambre à coucher (The Bedroom, 1889)

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Planning to open to 14 parked cars at a time, they sold out the initial Gogh by Car tickets in less than 24 hours. With thousands remaining on the waiting list, the exhibit just opened up another block of tickets for the world’s first drive-in art exhibit between July 3 – July 31.

Our family was one of the first “test drivers” to see the exhibit last weekend. We were warned that the logistics still had to be ironed out (and there were a few minor glitches). They were still trying to iron out how to get the cars in, where to place them and had people loitering about. Remember, this was one of the first runs.

Overall, we loved the experience and would happily return when the exhibit changes to an individual walk-thru. Patrons will be required to stand inside circles projected on the floor. These circles will maintain social distancing protocols set out by the Government of Ontario.
 

What you need to know

Tickets:
Gogh by Car! Now is your chance— they are extending the Drive-In dates from now through July 31st. You can purchase timed tickets online. The car and the driver and passenger will set you back $99.99 (including tax and fees) any additional passengers will be $39.99 (including fees and taxes). You can have a maximum of 6 people in one vehicle but with the purchase of Gogh by Car tickets, you will be able to return once the social distancing regulations open up for individual walk-thru tours.

Gogh by Car! will run July 3 – 31 and tickets are still available but are selling out pretty quickly.

Walk-Thru Exhibit: You can also buy Walk-Thru tickets and are available for dates between August 1 – September 30 (all dependent on when Govt. of Ontario opens up venues to the public). Ticket prices vary from VIP experience $99.99 to senior/student discount $39.99. Check the website for restrictions and reservations.
Location: One Yonge Street, Toronto Star Building (access off of Freeland St.)
Caution to those affected by strobe lighting: This exhibition contains sequences of bright flashing lights which may affect visitors who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy as well as others who are sensitive to moving lights. Viewer discretion is advised.

Is it worth going?

Yes and no but mostly a resounding YES. There is no question I loved the concept and the possibility to still view the exhibit while social distancing in Toronto. I loved that I could bring my whole family and we could experience this together. Being in the car was an intimate experience and will be very memorable for us. The problem was the obstracted view. Because the cars were not staggered, and we were at one end of the room, we could only see a limited view through the windshield and windows. It started to get a bit warm in the car and I can see that in the summer, this may be a concern as all cars are turned off.

Will people be tempted to get out of the car? I think that may happen. Our viewing was full of staff watching us watch the show. It was the second run through so there may have been more people loitering than was needed for an unobstructed view. Would I do it again in a car? Yes!

Will I return when they are able to have individual walk-thru tours (even with safe social distancing circles)? A.B.S.O.L.U.T.E.Y

Overall this exhibition is magical. The music is amazing, the production is very well done and the flow makes you feel like you are part of a painting. If I were you, I would jump at walk-thru tickets if you can still get them.

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