Review: BEYOND VAN GOGH AND BEYOND MONET at Straz Center

Last night, I stepped into a world where brushstrokes seemed to breathe and masterpieces moved—Beyond Van Gogh and Beyond Monet: The Immersive Experience at Tampa’s Straz Center. This wasn’t merely an exhibition; it was a transformative journey through light, color, and emotion that blurred the boundary between viewer and art.

Before entering the main projection hall, I wandered through a thoughtfully curated maze lined with towering displays featuring paintings, poignant quotes, and biographical details. These brought Van Gogh and Monet to life in ways I’d never experienced. I was genuinely surprised to learn that Van Gogh had once been a preacher before turning to painting as a spiritual vocation. Monet, on the other hand, resisted eye surgery for years, choosing instead to rely on colored glasses and eye drops until he nearly lost his sight. These intimate revelations made the experience not just visual, but deeply personal.

The moment I entered the vast, immersive projection room, the outside world seemed to fade away. All four walls transformed into a living canvas, enveloping me in a 360-degree dreamscape. Sunflowers grew tall and swayed around me. Starry nights shimmered and swirled above, and Van Gogh himself blinked gently, as if welcoming me into his imagination. Monet’s haystacks glowed with golden light, his water lilies rippled with movement, inviting me to linger in their serene embrace.

Quotes continued to float through the space, adding layers of meaning to the visual feast. Whether I was sitting or standing, I found myself completely surrounded—by color, by sound, and by emotion. The original musical score and ambient compositions, created a soundtrack that made the visuals all the more powerful.

Curated by art historian Fanny Curtat, the experience celebrated two visionaries whose works were born from light and emotion, now reimagined through cutting-edge digital VR projection. It was not only stunning but also profoundly educational, making Van Gogh and Monet feel more human, more accessible, and more alive than ever before.