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Covid risk/Van Gogh exhibition in London next week

24 replies

Firesidefox · 02/01/2022 19:31

I have tickets for the Immersive Van Gogh exhibition in London next week, bought months ago, and can't decide whether it's a stupid covid risk or not.

I am triple jabbed, but three of my children aren't (too young for jabs). I am not neurotic about covid, but also don't particularly want to catch it if I can avoid it.

Can anyone help me decide whether to go or not? I'd love to hear from anyone who's been and thinks it's great, or not and a bit crap, to help me decide!

OP posts:
Newyearoldyou · 02/01/2022 19:39

Op I had the same agonising descion and decided to go.
It felt reasonably safe.
The vr part is essential and they cleaned the glasses very well (extra 5£ but the best part). Your also right opposite spittle field market which if you don't know, is absolutely lovely, open and breezy and loads of excellent cheapish food offering. All like stalls but posh stalls and outside.

CruellaDeVilla · 02/01/2022 19:46

Someone I know went and said it was terrible and a waste of effort. I trust their judgment too.

If you live really nearby maybe but otherwise IIWY I wouldn’t bother.

RoseRedRoseBlue · 02/01/2022 19:48

Just go. It’s now so prolific that if you are going to catch it, you are going to catch it.

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Firesidefox · 02/01/2022 20:20

Thanks all! I have read conflicting reviews and don't want to go if it's rubbish. Will mull it over a bit more. The DC are divided over whether to go.

Good to know about Spitalfields market, I didn't know that, thank you @Newyearoldyou

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Newyearoldyou · 02/01/2022 20:29

Op o went to bjfhu, the Kensington one and this one.
I liked them both for different reasons but the one ops talking about swung it for me with the vr.
Its amazing like your waking in one of his painting.
Also adored mooching around spittle fields and loved the good choices.

Newyearoldyou · 02/01/2022 21:00

Sorry that should say, I've been to both van gogh exhibition this year

jesusmaryjosephandtheweedonkey · 02/01/2022 21:08

I went to it in Manchester last week and was completely underwhelmed.
It was a crowded small space and the sunflower room and bedroom was tiny.
It was so overpriced.

sausagepastapot · 02/01/2022 21:09

Please go. Live your life. It's like a cold. Go and have fun!!!!

Newyearoldyou · 02/01/2022 21:39

Jesus there are two maybe more going on. The one by spittle field didn't have a sunflower room. The one in Kensington Gardens did

OnlyAFleshWound · 02/01/2022 21:52

Isn't this one of those weird chain exhibitions that doesn't actually include a single painting by the artist whose name it's being sold on?

I.e. there isn't a single work of art by Van Gogh in the show?

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Firesidefox · 02/01/2022 21:56

Yes that's it @OnlyAFleshWound

I thought it might be fun

OP posts:
Puppylucky · 02/01/2022 21:56

Not sure what the previous comment is about but it's all real Vincent. I saw it on York a few years ago and it's lovely Smile

MercedesBenz · 02/01/2022 22:20

I have two friends , one saw it in Paris and one in Manchester . Both said it was great and I’ve booked it , covid or not .

I’ve had that awful non covid cold / cough ( Neg tests ) honestly feel
Like I’ve been in a lockdown as not been over the doorstep

This exhibition is something I’m looking foto in a few week

WheelieBinPrincess · 02/01/2022 22:25

Really no need for it to bring out the art snobs Hmm

It is what it is, I thought it was interesting and fun. It’s a TAKE on VG’s very famous works, if you want to see the actual paining of Starry Night you would go to New York.

jesusmaryjosephandtheweedonkey · 02/01/2022 22:29

@WheelieBinPrincess I have and did!
But that doesn't change the fact that the exhibition in Manchester was just an expensive slide show !

MrsFezziwig · 02/01/2022 22:33

@OnlyAFleshWound

Isn't this one of those weird chain exhibitions that doesn't actually include a single painting by the artist whose name it's being sold on?

I.e. there isn't a single work of art by Van Gogh in the show?

I don’t know what a “weird chain exhibition” actually is, but I don’t think it professes to have the real pictures. I went to the one in York pre-pandemic and representations of the pictures were projected onto the walls of an old church. As part of a planned day out it was quite entertaining.
DirtyDancing · 02/01/2022 22:39

What else have you been doing?

If you have been locking yourself away like a saint then no, probably best not to go. It will be busy and crowded.

If you have been medium to low careful (meeting up with others, supermarket shopping, odd meal etc) then it's not really very different, especially if you wear a decent mask (and I mean decent, no cloth mask crap) - go

bruffin · 02/01/2022 22:44

I loved it , we went sunday morning in November and it was actually quite quiet.
I have been to a proper Van Gogh exhibition at the Tate , but this was fun and enjoyable and informative in it's own way.

OnlyAFleshWound · 03/01/2022 03:09

@MrsFezziwig

I don’t know what a “weird chain exhibition” actually is, but I don’t think it professes to have the real pictures. I went to the one in York pre-pandemic and representations of the pictures were projected onto the walls of an old church. As part of a planned day out it was quite entertaining.

Sorry if I phrased it badly

I meant 'chain' because they have them on all over the place simultaneously (because there aren't any real artworks in the show) and there are a number of different artists/themes (Klimt, etc). They seem to have suddenly sprung up and be everywhere.

Imo their advertising is really misleading and they do try to give the impression that you would see the real paintings, not just a slideshow of them.

I think it's a bit of a rip-off tbh.

Especially in London where you can see so much amazing art for nothing.

Newyearoldyou · 03/01/2022 09:40

I never thought for a moment real art work would be in the show.
It's an immersion into the art work not static looking at art.

Ocsetldil · 03/01/2022 09:47

I took the kids to the Kensington one and thought that the introductory video was a bit long. Then I realised that this was it, there was no other room apart from the sunflower cubicle and the only immersion I experienced was the anticipation for something else to happen.

Go, because you have the tickets and you remortgaged your house to pay for them. Have a great time in London and join the wtf club.

dotsandco · 03/01/2022 10:12

@sausagepastapot

Please go. Live your life. It's like a cold. Go and have fun!!!!

Can we please stop with the 'it's just a cold'. It isn't 'just a cold' for everyone unfortunately. You might be lucky and have mild symptoms...but your neighbour/granny/person sitting next to you on the bus, sadly might not be so lucky.

I've just recovered after being COMPLETELY FLOORED by Covid, having caught it at school during the last week of term (so had a shit Christmas!) It was NOT 'just a cold'...it was agonising! I was extremely ill!! I've been triple vaccinated too...but was still very, very ill! God knows what might have happened if I'd not been vaccinated.

Whilst I DO agree that we need to get on and live our lives, absolutely, please don't minimise the impact that this virus can have on some people...and count yourself very lucky if you've only had a mild dose!

dotsandco · 03/01/2022 10:15

And when I say 'recovered' I mean had a negative test. I'm still feeling awful and won't be returning to work yet. I can't even go upstairs without feeling out of breath, let alone contemplate a 70 hour full time teaching workload!

Toktokboki · 03/01/2022 10:16

I went with my family a while back and we loved it. Really good with kids too as they had a room where they could colour in printed sheets of his work and then it would be projected on to the wall. My DD loved the last room with the immersive experience - we were in there for around 45 mins and she took it all in! Definitely go.

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