A Digital Journey into Van Gogh’s World: “In the Footsteps of Light” Exhibition Opens!

Türkiye’s first comprehensive Digital Experience Center has opened its doors to the luminous and colorful world of Vincent Van Gogh, one of art history’s most iconic figures. Launched by İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) Kültür AŞ, the “Van Gogh: In the Footsteps of Light” exhibition began welcoming visitors on August 23. Blending art, technology, and spatial experiences, this unique exhibition offers an unforgettable journey of discovery for visitors of all ages. It transcends traditional exhibition formats, utilizing artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality, and interactive projections to present Van Gogh’s works in an entirely new dimension. As İBB Kültür AŞ General Manager Osman Cenk Akın noted, the exhibition “retells the artist’s world, enveloped in light and color, through the language and technology of today,” inviting everyone to “discover their own inner light.”

The exhibition features 10 digital works by six artists, including Özde Karadağ, Fuat Genç, Ufuk Barış Mutlu, Design in Situ, Lucid Realities, and Nohlab.

Four Rooms and a Digital Corridor

The exhibition welcomes visitors through four distinct rooms and a Digital Corridor:

• Digital Room: This space explores the artist’s life story, the narratives behind his works, his letters, and interactive experiences. Visitors can follow Van Gogh’s artistic journey chronologically, from his childhood to his creative breakthroughs.
• Virtual Reality Room: Featuring the “Van Gogh’s Palette” virtual reality experience, shown for the first time in Türkiye, this room allows visitors to explore pivotal works from Van Gogh’s career in a sensory-rich format.
• Immersive Experience Room: Van Gogh’s life and art are transformed into a spatial narrative across four sections, blending digital interpretations and futuristic visions. The journey begins by stepping into the artist’s subconscious and invites visitors to follow the sun southward alongside him.
• Augmented Reality Room: In this final section, custom-developed software analyzes over 2,000 Van Gogh works to create original pieces in his style. The experience concludes with an exit from the artist’s subconscious.
• Digital Corridor: The final step of the journey features interactive, motion-responsive surfaces and play areas, turning the space into a living canvas.

The Digital Experience Center is open to art enthusiasts every day except Mondays.