Cardiff’s Van Gogh VR Trip Is Surprisingly Powerful
A new addition to Cardiff Bay’s cultural calendar this summer has taken a surprising form: a virtual reality experience centred around the life and art of Vincent Van Gogh. Hosted at the Wales Millennium Centre, this attraction, titled Monsieur Vincent, offers an innovative and highly immersive encounter with the artist’s world, combining storytelling, movement, and digital art in a way that challenges traditional gallery norms.
Located in the Western Studio on the first floor of the centre, the experience has been designed to depart from the typical painting-on-a-wall exhibition. Visitors are guided into a spacious room filled with swivel chairs, where a large-scale projection of some of Van Gogh’s most iconic works, such as The Bedroom and Starry Night Over the Rhône, creates the backdrop. Suspended from the ceiling are softly glowing orbs, their colours gently shifting to complement the surrounding atmosphere.
The actual experience begins once visitors are seated and fitted with VR headsets. What follows is a 20-minute journey through the later stages of Van Gogh’s life, uniquely told through the voice and perspective of Marguerite Gachet, daughter of the artist’s physician and one of his final models. Her recollections guide the viewer through both literal and emotional landscapes, exploring Van Gogh’s inner world and his creative vision.
The narrative opens within the Gachet home, where Marguerite reflects on her time with the painter. Viewers are then drawn into a vivid reimagining of Van Gogh’s artistic explorations, from the golden tones of Provence, where he pursued what he called the “high yellow note”, to the vibrant reds and greens of riverside cafés along the Rhône. It moves through his depictions of night skies, which burst into motion with stars and swirling blues, and into the northern French countryside, where his emotional state was often mirrored in his use of colour and brushwork.
Technologically, the experience offers more than passive viewing. The VR simulation creates the sensation of gliding into and through the paintings, sometimes evoking a strong physical response—at moments it can feel almost as if one is falling. The use of swivel chairs adds to the effect, allowing each participant to turn and look in any direction, discovering new elements at every angle. There’s also limited interactivity, as users can grasp virtual objects within the environment, deepening the sense of presence.
Layered over the visuals is an evocative soundtrack and narration that combine with the imagery to produce a deeply emotional experience. Despite its short runtime, the combination of immersive visuals, personal storytelling, and emotive sound design proves surprisingly impactful.
What could have easily been a gimmicky display of new tech instead delivers a reflective and artistically respectful tribute. The project pushes the boundary of what an exhibition can be—transforming it from something viewers observe to something they inhabit.
Priced at £6, Monsieur Vincent presents remarkable value for money. While initial expectations may vary, especially among those sceptical of virtual reality’s potential, the result is a moving encounter that both informs and stirs. As one of the UK’s first exhibitions of this kind, its presence at the Wales Millennium Centre feels not only fitting but forward-thinking.
