Van Gogh Alive goes to Perth in 2022 | PHOTOS, VIDEO

The multi-sensory experience Van Gogh Alive has been seen by more than eight million people globally across almost 80 cities around the world, and arrives at Supreme Court Gardens, Perth, from May 27.

At the event's heart is an immersive experience combining digital animation and sound in the SENSORY4 gallery, where Van Gogh's works and life story are shared through projections and a classical music soundtrack, giving the sensation of walking into his paintings. More than 3000 images are part of the presentation.

"From start to finish, visitors are surrounded by a vibrant symphony of light, colour, sound and fragrance that has been called an 'unforgettable' multi-sensory experience," organisers said.

Other immersive parts of the exhibition include a café inspired by the painting Café Terrace at Night, and rooms inspired by the Starry Night painting and Van Gogh's sunflower works.

"Van Gogh Alive is an exceptionally innovative multi-sensory experience that took 18 months and countless iterations over the past decade to create," Van Gogh Alive owner and creator Bruce Peterson said.

"It was the very first of its kind in the world. Van Gogh Alive has really redefined the way many people around the world engage with art and culture and it has brought tremendous pleasure to audiences old and young, experienced and inexperienced in art and culture."

Doors open to the public on 27 May, 2022. Tickets are available here.

By Anthony Caggiano

Van Gogh Alive offered hope and joy to Adelaide when it opened in winter 2021 - it was one of the few public events that were allowed to proceed during the pandemic.

But it genuinely held its own as a destination for art and a sensory experience; strong odes to the artist's works in breakout areas and a well-timed main event that made excellent use of the space and kept you gently engaged visually and audibly, and left me feeling very appreciative of the artist's work and legacy.

The first thing I observed was a 3D recreation of the paintings titled Bedroom in Arles - Van Gogh's bedroom. An exhibit in itself, the bedroom is set up with a forced perspective so nothing is in proportion; it's genuinely a 3D adaptation of the painting.

There is also the café, which in itself is inspired by the painting Café Terrace at Night.

Next, the Interpretive Area gave brief yet informed descriptions of Van Gogh's life and work. It was just the right amount of information to give someone an insight into his work, before exploring the major parts of the exhibition.

The first immersive experience is a room inspired by the Starry Night painting; parts of the painting have been painted on the floor and ceiling, while mirrors and floor-to-ceiling stringed lights enchant as you walk through the space, which feels deceptively larger than it is.

Finally, it's time to enter the SENSORY4 Gallery - the main feature. In short, it's a show that is presented across the entire presentation space. Images projected onto floor-to-ceiling screens and even on the floor, are complemented with a classical soundtrack that takes you on a journey of Gogh's life and mind. The animations are adaptations of his paintings, but animated so different parts of them move, giving a vividness and helping to tell a story.

The 'presentation' - for lack of a better word - goes for a little over half an hour and my goodness, it's worth it. You're transfixed and moved by this space, and come out of it feeling inspired and rejuvenated. The whole presentation is on loop and it's likely you'll enter it part way through; my friend and I just watched it through to the part that we started with, and we felt we had understood and seen the story.

Finally, you leave through the Sunflower Room - again inspired by his paintings of the subject. The space is filled with mirrors and hundreds of sunflowers, making you feel like you're inside a beautiful field.

Overall, Van Gogh Alive is a fantastic celebration of the artist's work and the power of digital animation.