While virtual reality has become commonplace in gaming, it is now also being used to showcase events from history and the fine arts.
The Eclipso Centre off the Atlanta Beltline near John Lewis Freedom Parkway has brought 19th century French Impressionist painters to life via virtual reality in a new 45-minute show, “Tonight with the Impressionists.” Set in 1874, the program celebrates the 150th anniversary of the first-ever Impressionist exhibition in Paris.
A friendly female VR guide takes you to a visual evocation of the exhibition itself and introduces attendees to painters such as Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Berthe Morisot and Edgar Degas in the digital flesh.
At the time, these painters were considered radicals, breaking from traditional academic painting of historical and religious events. Instead, they explored light, color and atmosphere in new ways, often using outdoor scenery for inspiration.
“Our newest expedition allows visitors to experience one of the most pivotal moments in art history,” Antoine Lieutaud, CEO of Eclipso has said. “It’s more than just a glimpse into the past; it’s an invitation to experience the passion, vision and spirit of the artists who forever changed the art world, all through virtual reality.”
The VR show starts in 19th century Paris, and several of the artists explain particular paintings in detail. You get peeks into Frédéric Bazille’s studio, walk across a pond called the Grenouillère where Monet and Renoir painted in tandem and the city of Le Havre, where Monet created “Impression, Sunrise.”
The experience took two years to put together with help from the Musée D’Orsay in Paris, which boasts a substantial and important collection of Impressionist art.
Temporarily leasing the space that opened in 2022 as the Illuminarium, the French company Eclipso first offered a look at the Egyptian pyramids this past spring titled “Horizon of Khufu.” That show is still available.
Immersive and VR experiences of this ilk took off in 2021 when more than 425,000 people attended a Van Gogh immersive experience at Pullman Yards in Atlanta that included a virtual reality option. Atlanta’s John Zaller, who was involved in that first Van Gogh experience, built his own permanent space, the Exhibition Hub Arts Center in Doraville, in 2022 that opened with a Monet experience. Exhibition Hub currently is presenting an updated Van Gogh immersive experience as well as a Titanic-themed exhibit.
IF YOU GO
“Tonight With the Impressionists”
Tuesdays-Sundays, varying hours, $27 and up, Eclipso Centre, 550 Somerset Terrace NE, Atlanta, www.feverup.com
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