Van Gogh the Immersive Experience: Did You Get Scammed?

If you are like me, you’re super excited about Van Gogh the Immersive Experience coming to Boston this fall. But, you may have bought tickets to a different Van Gogh Exhibit. There is no ‘real’ exhibit, but there may be a few scams floating out there. Plus, it can be confusing to figure out the differences between them. With prices at $40+ per person, it can be a costly mistake to get the wrong one. Please make sure you know what you are buying to avoid getting scammed or simply buying the wrong tickets.

I’ll take you through the two different exhibits in Boston and the one in NYC. Also, if you want to Gogh in style (see what I did there?), check out these $8.99 (free domestic shipping) Van Gogh earrings by Oddity Cart. You can also buy them on Etsy. Oddity Cart has an earring for every occasion! Don’t forget to wear them on April 13th for NATIONAL SILLY EARRING DAY!

Three Van Gogh Exhibits – Is One Fake?

Two Van Gogh Exhibits are being advertised on Facebook and other social media platforms. Buying things from Facebook ads is a known risk. If you are ever interested in the event you see advertised, it is good to Google it and verify that it is real.

There have been fake pages made to look like real companies selling the same products and services and stealing people’s money. One of these Van Gogh exhibits comes with some red flags that you should consider before purchasing.

As the New York Post hilariously phrased it, ‘one ear – two exhibits.’ However, there are actually three exhibits – two in Boston and one in NYC. They all sound really similar but are quite different. It is confusing because they all use the same terminology in their descriptions and advertisements.

Immersive Van Gogh

The Immersive Van Gogh exhibit is a larger-scale event taking place all over the country, including in NYC. It offers over 500,000 cubic feet of projections, 60,600 frames of video, and 90,000,000 pixels. This exhibit opens in NYC in June. Regular tickets cost $39.99 – OFF PEAK and $49.99 – PEAK, plus there are fees. This exhibit is not happening in Boston, but it is coming to other cities outside of NYC.

What is confusing is that there are articles about this one also coming to Boston… even this article by Boston Magazine says there will be two in Boston. However, if you click the link, it takes you to a website that no longer exists. No wonder people are confused!

Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience

Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience is a different exhibit, and this one is actually happening in Boston. This one is international, and many people have experienced it in Europe. This event is immersive in a different way than the other Van Gogh exhibit. It is a 360º digital art exhibition, and it is already sold out for fall. I managed to get tickets for December, but they are now limited. However, they have January tickets available. Tickets start at $36 plus fees.

I got worried because people seem to have doubts about the validity of this event. The main concern that people have is that the location hasn’t been announced yet. Personally, this doesn’t worry me because the event is months away, and COVID-19 makes things unpredictable. Plus, at the rate that they are selling tickets, they may be waiting to announce a venue once they have a clear idea of how many people are attending.

I bought my tickets through Fever, which looks reputable to me. However, some people have said that they needed to change their tickets and couldn’t get in touch with them. This does worry me a little, but again, it could be due to the high number of people reaching out to them. The exhibit’s official website does take you to Fever to buy your tickets, so it seems legit to me.

Imagine Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience

If I understand correctly, Imagine Van Gogh is entirely different and is also happening in Canada. This exhibit pays tribute to Van Gogh as one of the most famous artists of all time. This exhibit runs from December 21, 2021, to February 20, 2022, and already has a set location.

Tickets start at $39, and there are some booking fees. The exhibit lasts approximately one hour. This exhibition has a heavy focus on Van Gogh himself, as well as showing his art. From my understanding, the other exhibits focus more on the art rather than the artist, but I could be wrong.

Is it Safe to Gogh?

I cannot take credit for that joke. But seriously, is it safe to go to either of these events? Well, vaccines are rolling out quickly, and most people in the USA should have access to a vaccine by June, and almost definitely by January.

Immersive Van Gogh

Here is what Immersive Van Gogh says about it:

“Safety is our number one priority for all guests attending Immersive Van Gogh New York. With over 170,000 visitors in Toronto during COVID-19, and zero reported cases associated with the exhibition since opening, we’re proud to be operating an experience where it is safe to GOGH.

To ensure your safety, and based on guidance from the CDC and other government agencies, our walk-in exhibition will operate with enhanced safety measures including:

• Reduced capacity in line with state guidelines, to ensure all guests have enough space to safely enjoy the experience
• Temperature checks for staff and guests on arrival
• Touchless hand sanitization stations placed throughout the venue
• Plexiglass barriers at all payment locations
• Contactless payment encouraged throughout the venue
• Face coverings required for all staff and guests
• Floor markings throughout the venue to assist in six-foot social distancing limit
• Social distancing circles projected throughout the entire exhibition gallery space
• Enhanced, regular cleaning throughout the day on each floor
• Contact tracing for all staff and guests

We will continue to closely monitor the situation daily, and adjust our safety measures accordingly, in readiness for our opening.

Thanks for your patience and understanding during these challenging times.”

Safety – Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience

The safety regulations for the Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience are just as reassuring, although less punny.

• Social distancing
  Controlling the number of visitors
• The number of visitors will always be strictly limited and controlled thanks to our reservation system and the timed entries.
• The number of simultaneous visitors is limited to 200 in 1,300 square meters (13,993 square feet).
• Marks on the ground will remind you of the safety distances (6 feet between each person). Our staff will be there to ensure that social distances are respected and that everyone wears a mask.
• A clear path with directions has been defined to handle the flow of visitors.
• We rely on your caution and cooperation with others to respect the rules and avoid any groups of people from forming.
• To facilitate circulation within the exhibition, we would like to ask you to avoid, when possible, taking bulky items with you, such as large bags.
• Extra hygiene precautions
  Masks, bathroom, hand sanitizer
• It is mandatory to wear a mask inside the exhibition. We will distribute a mask for free at the entrance to all visitors who do not have one. Your cooperation and consideration towards your fellow visitors is greatly appreciated
• We will place free dispensers of hand sanitizer inside the exhibition. We encourage you to use this gel as you enter and as you make your way through the exhibition
• We will offer crayons to visitors interested in enjoying our creative workshop. Your children will be able to keep them afterwards!
• The bathroom facilities will be cleaned after each use.

Virtual Reality Experience

• Headset rules, disinfection, disposable masks
• We will limit the number of headsets used simultaneously.
• Visitors must wear a mask in this area as well.
• The equipment will be fully disinfected after each use. This is also applicable to chairs that have been used.
• Each visitor will receive a disposable mask for the eyes (to avoid contact between the skin and the goggles).

Imagine Van Gogh Safety Regulations

In the event of a temporary exhibit closure due to public health orders, all tickets scheduled during the closure will be automatically rescheduled for when the exhibit reopens.

When visiting Imagine Van Gogh, masks or cloth face coverings must fully cover the nose, mouth, and chin are required. Face Shields will not be accepted if not paired with a mask, Please wear a mask at all times and sanitize your hands frequently. Please maintain social distancing at all times.

Summary: Van Gogh Exhibits

I am honestly still a little confused about all these different exhibits, and at this point, I want to go to all of them to see what the differences are. Can you ever get enough of Van Gogh? I don’t think so. Don’t forget to check out these $8.99 (plus free shipping) Van Gogh earrings by Oddity Cart. You can also buy them on Etsy. Oddity Cart has an earring for every occasion!

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