(In paragraph 3, deletes title of Massimiliano Siccardi, adds title of David Korins)
By Roselle Chen
(Reuters) -Post-Impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh's masterpieces come to life in a breathtaking exhibit called "Immersive Van Gogh" at Pier 36, a 70,000-square-foot facility located on Manhattan's Lower East Side.
Journalists at the hard hat press tour on Wednesday were treated to a visual spectacle as van Gogh's works floated, spun and transformed, with some works such as "Iris" and "Starry Night Over the Rhone" blooming and rippling before the viewer's eyes.
The creative talents behind the show include Creator Massimiliano Siccardi, Creative Director New York David Korins and composer Luca Longobardi. The exhibition uses technology to combine art and music in an immersive experience.
"I even see people break into tears because they're so, so touched by this whole compilation of music and visuals," said the show's co-producer Maria Shclover. "It's magic. It's really about the life of van Gogh, how he experienced art and the surroundings about him."
As New York lifted most of its coronavirus capacity restrictions on businesses, Shclover said van Gogh was the perfect artist to usher visitors from the dark times of the pandemic into normalcy.
"We all came through the pandemic, and this artist was chosen to show his feelings and loneliness, but also to show his wonderful, bright surroundings and feelings of sunflowers around you," she said. "So I think it's perfect timing for us...to see and to encourage us all to leave that loneliness and to come out healthy."
"Immersive Van Gogh" opens to the public on June 10.