Here are a couple of art exhibits in and around Philadelphia I loved and so will you!
Two years of being stuck indoors was a struggle for everyone’s mental well-being, but something good that did come out of the pandemic was a burst in new art and cultural exhibitions around the world, and especially here in Philadelphia. Read on to find out about a few recent exhibitions Philadelphia has hosted and book your tickets before they leave Philly!
The first art exhibit I have ever gone to, out of my own desire, was the Van Gogh Immersive Experience. Wow, talk about an art exhibit. The Van Gogh Immersive exhibit began in Europe in the early 2000s and found its way across the Atlantic after the 2020 Netflix show, Emily in Paris, showed a Van Gogh experience in Paris. I was able to go to the exhibit in October of 2021, and because of it’s huge success, it is still going on at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia and various other locations around the country.
Walking through the painting-adorned walls of the Tower Theater made me feel like I was walking through the full life of Van Gogh, seeing his experiences, struggles with mental health, and illnesses painted in his beautifully eccentric and colorful works. Every room had different aspects of his life, mentioned what certain periods of his life consisted of, and even had rumors of his relationships. What was most interesting, though, was how the paintings were transformed into three-dimensional creations. My favorite one was the lifesize, 3-D model of The Bedroom, which was accurate down to the wood grains painted on the canvas.
The Van Gogh Immersive Experience only got better as you moved into the last room of the exhibit: a 360-degree digital experience of Van Gogh’s intricate works, his quotes found in his journals and correspondences to friends and family, and an open-floor seating arrangement that felt like I was in another world. Digital sunflowers and the countryside all over the walls around you, raindrops falling on you from the lights above, and a calm sense of security blanketing you. It was truly an exquisite experience.
The second exhibit that’s worth discussing is Harry Potter: The Exhibition! at The Franklin Institute. This exhibit’s world premiere was on February 18, 2022, and it took place right in the heart of Philadelphia. I was able to go a few days after the world premiere, and it really was an amazing adventure.
To start off, you get to create a Hogwarts profile with your house, a picture, and your very own immersive experience golden snitch bracelet. As I walked through the exhibit, there were costumes from the movies, quidditch brooms, and recreated mandrakes that you could even repot! My Harry Potter-obsessed self was having so much fun! Every room you went to, you got to play a game with your snitch bracelet and gain points for your house.
The coolest part about this exhibit was definitely the first room, where the Marauder’s Map came to life and you could see yourself walking on it. The pop-up photography stations had their own air of specialty, I really felt like I was Harry sitting in his cupboard under the stairs! If you’re a fan of Harry Potter, I’d definitely recommend checking out the exhibit before it leaves on September 18!
Being able to walk through art is a mesmerizing experience in itself, with beautiful paintings on the walls, cozy, warm lighting, and high ceilings all around you. What art exhibits like the Van Gogh Experience and Harry Potter exhibit does is it creates an interactive world for visitors to explore and feel like they are a part of the world, a part of the art that was created and loved by millions of people. It’s a feeling like no other, so grab a couple friends and family and enjoy the immersive experiences around you!