Some paintings are so beautiful you just want to walk straight into them – and soon you'll be able to do just that. After a two-year postponement, the Immersive Museum is finally opening its first exhibition in Tokyo this summer. The digital art showcase was initially set to open in Tennozu in April 2020, but will now be based in Nihonbashi where its first exhibition will open on July 8.
This first digital art exhibition will be themed on Impressionism, the art movement started in 19th century France exploring the qualities of light, from the way it shines across water to its momentary changes in colour.
The pioneer of this movement, Claude Monet, was initially ridiculed for his new style of painting, which consisted of painting thin, rapid strokes using vivid colours, but is now recognised as one of the greatest artists of his time. Shortly before his death, Monet set out to create a painting people could immerse themselves in. With the aim of bringing beauty to those who had suffered through the First World War, he painted his famous 'Water Lillies' series, which is still displayed in the oval rooms of Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris in the way Monet had suggested. The shapes of the rooms help visitors detach from the outside world and be fully absorbed in the paintings surrounding them.
Immersive Museum will take Monet's goal one step further, using floor-to-ceiling projections to fill entire rooms with Monet's art. The exhibition will project eight works by Monet, including some from the ‘Water Lilies’ and ‘Houses of Parliament’ series. Several of Monet’s fellow Impressionists will also be featured, including Edgar Degas, Auguste Renoir and Mary Cassatt, for a total of 70 artworks. As you move across the space, taking in the art, you'll hear sounds designed to match the projections and draw you further into the world of each painting.
These immersive installations will be on display from July 8 until October 29 2022 at Nihonbashi Mitsui Hall. General admission is ¥2,500 for adults, ¥1,500 for junior high school students, and free for elementary school students or younger.
To see more immersive digital art in Tokyo, check out teamLab Borderless in Odaiba or teamLab Planets in Toyosu.
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