The Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields in Indianapolis, IN, will invite guests from near and far to step into a digital world of art when THE LUME Indianapolis debuts in June 2021. This extraordinary multi- sensory experience is being created by Australian-based Grande Experiences, and will occupy the museum’s entire fourth floor with nearly 30,000 square feet of immersive, digital art, marking it the largest continuous exhibition space in Newfields’ 137-year history.
THE LUME Indianapolis, which is made possible through generous funding from Lilly Endowment Inc., will be a must-see cultural attraction featuring almost 150 state-of-the-art high definition projectors that can transform two-dimensional paintings into a three-dimensional world that guests can explore through all their senses. The projections featured in THE LUME will be displayed from floor to ceiling in spacious galleries that move far beyond the static nature of traditional art exhibitions. This type of cutting-edge experience is designed to invite new and more diverse audiences to experience art in a more casual and family-friendly way.
The inaugural experience in THE LUME will spotlight the paintings of Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853-1890). Close to 3,000 moving images of Van Gogh’s paintings will be set to an evocative classical music score, transporting guests into the fascinating world of Van Gogh. Food and beverage elements, as well as retail opportunities, will round out the experience. THE LUME’s grand opening in Indianapolis will be the first-time guests will be able to experience a digital gallery of this scale and sophistication at an art museum in the United States.
“After five years of research into art consumer motivation and innovative digital exhibitions in Asia, Australia and Europe, we are thrilled to unveil THE LUME Indianapolis at Newfields next year as a groundbreaking addition to what we have to offer,” said Dr. Charles L. Venable The Melvin & Bren Simon Director and CEO at Newfields. “I am very pleased that we have been able to partner with Grande Experiences to become the first museum in the country to fully embrace the future of digital exhibitions. My experience on other continents demonstrated how the combination of cutting-edge digital projection technology and great works of art can motivate new audiences to engage with art exhibitions. Welcoming diverse audiences is a major goal of Newfields, and we believe THE LUME Indianapolis will attract infrequent art museum visitors because they will be able to fully immerse themselves in an artist’s work in less formal ways than in a traditional gallery. THE LUME Indianapolis is more than an exhibition, it is an experience.”
THE LUME Indianapolis’’ first experience will allow guests to explore the work of the post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh in an unforgettable way. Among the most famous and influential artists in the history of Western art, Van Gogh is known for Sunflowers (1888, National Gallery, London) and The Starry Night (1889, The Museum of Modern Art, New York), both of which will be key highlights of this dynamic experience. Guests will also be invited to see Newfields’ own iconic painting by Van Gogh, Landscape at Saint-Rémy (1889) in the IMA Galleries before or after they witness Van Gogh’s paintings come to life in THE LUME.
THE LUME was created by Australian-based Grande Experiences, who have held more than 190 exhibitions and experiences in more than 145 cities worldwide and reached over 17 million visitors. The company’s founder, Bruce Peterson, reimagined touring exhibitions 15 years ago by pioneering advanced, multi-sensory technology to engage audiences more deeply with compelling storytelling techniques within a fascinating exhibition experience. Peterson said THE LUME is the answer to global audiences’ growing appetite for meaningful and shared experiences and is proud to bring this next-generation immersive art gallery to Newfields.
“The cultural scene is vastly changing as visitors demand new experiences. We have been at the forefront of this movement globally as our popular exhibitions have quickly moved from artefact-based, to multimedia, to multi-sensory and now to very experiential,” said Bruce Peterson, Grande Experiences Founder. “Today, we engage many more new audiences through this style of experience. We are engaging new audiences to appreciate the arts in a different way, and we know from our work internationally that it will encourage more people to visit places like Newfields with renewed appreciation.”
Tickets for THE LUME Indianapolis at Newfields will be available for purchase ahead of the grand opening in June 2021. Furthermore, THE LUME experience will be accessible for Access Pass holders and through Newfields’ free ticket distribution program with 21 community-based partners. THE LUME will also be available as an event rental space where guests of all ages can enjoy larger-than-life masterpieces starting next summer.
Renderings of The LUME Indianapolis courtesy of Grande Experiences
