The Van Gogh effect: immersive art shows are a 'money grab', say leading digital artists

From animated floor-to-ceiling paintings to giant fluorescent ball pits, immersive art experiences have proliferated in warehouses, often costing £25-£40 ahead.

- David Batty

Now experts have claimed that many are overpriced gimmicks.

Leading digital artists say some of the most popular commercial immersive experiences, particularly those based on the work of dead artists such as Vincent van Gogh and Salvador Dalí, are a money grab that provide little reward to visitors beyond Instagrammable moments.

The proliferation of these shows, which often use relatively old technology, is diluting public perception of what immersive experiences could be and risks sidelining more innovative work, the artists have claimed.

Lucy Hardcastle, a designer and digital artist who runs an eponymous studio in London, said the commercialisation of immersive experiences did not leave room for many ori ginal ideas.

Hardcastle, who has made work for the Victoria and Albert Museum and Chanel, drew a distinction between commercial experiences such as the Van Gogh, Monet and Dalí exhibitions, which are primarily screen or projection based, and more cutting-edge shows where artists have created environments from scratch.