The rise of immersive art exhibits has led to the massive reimagining and international touring of some of the most cherished works of art. The focus has so far been on historical artwork, with Frida Kahlo, Gustav Klimt, and Vincent Van Gogh among the most well-liked subjects.
David Hockney’s upcoming exhibition, “Bigger & Closer (not smaller and further away),” debuting in London at the start of next year, which might be one of the first works by a living artist to receive the same treatment.
Inviting guests into some of his most well-known paintings, from the swimming pools he painted in California to the immense canyons he caught in the American West, Hockney was able to take the helm and lead this unique immersive adventure. Visitors will also be taken on a journey through Hockney’s life, starting in Yorkshire, where he was born, and ending in Normandy, in southern France, where he currently resides, through photographs and polaroid collages.
With comments by Hockney and specially composed accompaniment by American composer Nico Muhly, these and other ideas will be dispersed among six chapters with a common subject.
Hockney muses in one voice-over that “the world is very, very lovely if you look at it, but most people don’t look very much. They scan the ground before them to walk; they don’t look at things extremely well or with intensity. I do.”
It won’t be the first time that Hockney has kept an eye on technological developments and adapted his painting technique to new mediums, as evidenced by this three-year endeavor. He started using computer software to draw in the 1980s, and since 2009, he has routinely displayed iPad-created portraits, landscapes, and still life.
The performance will take place at Lightroom, a brand-new four-story exhibition space for immersive experiences in London’s Kings Cross creative neighborhood. Produced by 59 Productions and the London Theatre Company, “David Hockney: Bigger and Closer (not smaller and further away)” will be displayed from January 25 to April 23, 2023. Tickets are currently available for £25 ($30) for adults and £15 ($18) for students.
London is also home to Frameless, a different location for experiencing the art forms that debuted at Marble Arch in September. The launch of Lightroom indicates that there are no signs of the immersive art craze slowing down after significant investment in this quickly expanding industry.