CT Exclusive: Under The Starry Night, Van Gogh Show In Bengaluru Hit Me With A Wave Of Melancholy

“I want to touch people with my art. I want them to say ‘he feels deeply, he feels tenderly’,” were Dutch artist, Vincent Van Gogh’s words in a handwritten letter discovered in 1889 in Paris. Over a hundred years later, at India’s award-winning Van Gogh show in Bengaluru, under the blue dancing swirls of The Starry Night and in the warm static Bedroom in Arles, I felt sad, overcome by a wave of melancholy. For art, let me step into the world of an artist who felt deeply and tenderly.

‘The Real Van Gogh Immersive Experience’ Comes To Bengaluru

At The Real Van Gogh Immersive Experience in Bengaluru, Vincent Van Gogh received something more than a tribute — empathy. The immersive exhibition goes beyond merely presenting the Dutch master’s 70 handpicked artworks. It attempts to open a window into the troubled, curious, loving and deeply passionate mind of the artist himself.

Aiding its endeavour is India’s first 22,000 lumen projection, the largest screens in the country, and a specially created music score by Mitch de Klein. Each playing its part, one stroke at a time, to bring Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings alive, and let our feelings arrive.

The multi-sensory art show is helmed by Van Gogh admirers and entrepreneurs, Nikhil Chinappa and Jay Punjabi, in collaboration with The Silly Fellows. Having won 13 awards since its debut in 2024, The Real Van Gogh Immersive Experience has travelled to Bengaluru’s Bhartiya Mall, with an unparalleled visual spectacle steeped in emotional and narrative depth.

Award-Winning Show Gently Nudges You To Empathise

Walking into the Education Room, from where the immersive journey begins, I arrived as an admirer of The Starry Nights and Sunflowers, but lesser acquainted with his equally intriguing vast body of work. The Education Room introduced me to the man born in Zundert, an agricultural town in the Netherlands; a doting brother to Theo; a traveller fascinated by Japan; an artist battling mental health issues who found solace in his paints, and a philosopher whose words offer comfort, years after his tragic demise.

I couldn’t help but feel deep empathy for Vincent Van Gogh, an artist who had so much love to give, who kept ebbing and flowing with the tides of his moods, who used art as a gateway to express himself and make sense of his inner and outer worlds. Today, his paintings, just like his profound handwritten letters, have the power to start a conversation around mental health or at least leave you feeling deeply for the artist, his art, and even yourself.

Room By Room: When The Stars Dance & Irises Bloom

Having absorbed the nuances of the Dutch master’s life and work, the experience led me to the Infinity Room. Rife with mirrored installations, glimmering golden lights dangling like streamers, it’s an interactive space. An ode to the artist’s blue hues, yellow stars, the swirls draw you in with each brushstroke. A photographer’s delight!

The Real Van Gogh Immersive Experience hits a crescendo with the Immersive Room. Here, time stops still, and the outside world quietens. All you have is Van Gogh and his living, breathing paintings. A visual spectacle, a 360-degree projection with animation and surround sound, can make even the art-impaired marvel at the mysticism of it all.

With bean bags and benches offering comfort, Immersive Room is what it is— a space to let the artworks speak for themselves. In this case, dance, move and even blossom. The Night Cafe came alive with Van Gogh’s creation breaking character to play billiards. Striking blue Irises bloomed in front of my eyes. Van Gogh’s chair tumbled towards me as I tried to duck. As each sensory element unfolded, it only grew my anticipation for the next piece.

Also Read: From Zakir Khan Live To Van Gogh Immersive Experience, 10 Best Events To Attend In Bengaluru This July

Hit By Melancholy, I Held On To The Artist Beyond The Art

As the striking yellow turned to darker blues, so did the powerful soundtrack, guiding me through Van Gogh’s changing moods, from joy, melancholy, to anguish. I was profoundly touched by Wheatfield with Crows, the artist’s last oil painting before he took his life. A vast wheat field opens to the stormy sky, a pathway flanked by crows, leading to the light.

Perhaps an omen, crows came bearing finality. As his last painting filled the room, it dawned on me that Van Gogh shall always live. He lives in his “art that consoles the broken”, in his legacy that has waves of happy yellows even in melancholic blues.

Also Read: CT Exclusive: I Stepped Into Van Gogh’s Starry Night In Delhi And Forgot The Real World Existed

Swept by a wave of melancholy, I left the immersive art show clutching a postcard of Wheatfield with Crows. I held on to the artist beyond the art.

Where: Bhartiya Mall of Bengaluru, Bhartiya City, Thanisandra Main Rd, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560064
When: Mon-Fri 12 pm-9 pm| Sat-Sun 10 am-9 pm
Cost: ₹899 onwards for adults; ₹499 for children| Click here for tickets 

Cover Image Courtesy: Sanjana Shenoy