London’s Must See Immersive Exhibitions Of 2024
By Ellie Smith
4 months ago
From dazzling light shows to historical VR experiences
Galleries are constantly innovating and finding exciting new ways to showcase art. While there will always be a place for the traditional art gallery, many modern-day shows benefit from other elements too, such as video and live performance. Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen an influx of immersive exhibitions, offering a new chance to engage with art – and perhaps attract new audiences, too. Here are the ones worth visiting.
London’s Best Immersive Exhibitions
Dopamine Land
Calling all ASMR lovers, immersive experience fanatics or just those who fancy a boost of serotonin – South Ken’s newest immersive installation promises is the brainchild of Fever, and aims to boost those essential dopamine levels. Guests will enter on a multisensory journey through a collection of differently themed rooms, each intended to overload the senses, often through nostalgic nudges. You can embrace your inner child in the video-game style room, be transported to a festival with the woodland-style room lit with glowing lanterns or lose yourself in the Yayoi Kausama-inspired room with its hanging multicoloured-lights and mirrors. Each room will tantalise the senses and absorb the mind – the volume’s turned up high, the smells are evocative, and the decor is dazzling. End your journey in the rainbow-coloured warehouse-style bar at the end and finish off with one of their special and delicious bubble-tea cocktails.
Details:Â Ongoing at 79-85 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3LD.
Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience
Fancy stepping inside some of the world’s most famous art works? Now’s your chance: Van Gogh is being brought to life in an all-consuming show at The Old Truman Brewery. Immerse yourself in more than 300 of his sketches, drawings and paintings through floor-to-ceiling digital projections, made possible by special video mapping technology. In a separate gallery, visitors can embark on a 10-minute VR experience which takes you through a day in the life of the artist, with insight into the inspiration behind some of his most acclaimed works including Bedroom at Arles and Starry Night Over The Rhone River.
Details: Ongoing at The Old Truman Brewery (106 Commercial Street, London E1 6LZ).
Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirror Rooms
Still not managed to get your hands on a ticket for Yayoi Kusama’s Instagram-famous Infinity Mirror Rooms? Fear not: you still have time to secure a booking. The much-awaited exhibition arrived at Tate Modern in May 2023 after being postponed from its original date the year before, complete with two spectacular installations. The first is Infinity Mirrored Room – Filled With The Brilliance of Life, a room featuring a walkway of mirrored tiles, with hundreds of small LED lights hanging from the ceiling. This sits alongside Chandelier of Grief, the centrepiece of which is a rotating chandelier of Swarovski crystal. Both work together to give viewers the experience of being in a seemingly endless space of reflections.
Details:Â Until 28 April 2024 at the Tate Modern (Bankside, London SE1 9TG).
Frameless
A new permanent immersive art exhibition space has opened in Marble Arch Place: Frameless. Drawing together over 40 artworks across four galleries, expect new interpretations of recognisable and timeless classics stretched across vast spaces and around bends, accompanied by a bespoke soundtrack.
Read our full review of Frameless here
Details: Ongoing at Frameless (6 Marble Arch, London W1H 7AP). Adult tickets from £25, and child tickets from £15, with free admission for children under 5 years old. Frameless Lates tickets are £15 per person.
Image © Chris Orange
Outernet London
If you’re looking for a free immersive art exhibition, look no further than London’s landmark cultural space, Outernet. With a rotating roster of art shown throughout the day – from mindfulness experience ‘Room To Breathe’ to interactive art driven by the movement of its viewers – this open-air digital exhibition space is situated just outside Tottenham Court Road Station; you can’t miss it.
Details:Â Ongoing at Outernet London (Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 8LH).
Pictured: The Summer Palace.
Turn It Up: The Power Of Music
Perfect for little ones, explore the power of music – how it moves us to create, perform, move and share – at the Science Museum’s new immersive exhibition. Featuring a music playground, you can play with beat, melody, harmonies, and even bust a move in the name of science. Meanwhile, learn all about improbable instruments and firsthand memories of chart-topping artists.
Details: 19 October 2023–6 May 2024 at the Science Museum (Exhibition Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 2DD)
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum Group
Illusionaries
Canary Wharf is home to London’s latest permanent experiential art hub, Illusionaries. With a rotating roster of artists showcasing their work, it’s a different experience every time you visit – but always breathtaking.
Details:Â Crossrail Place, Canary Wharf, London E14 5AR
Delight London
Inspired by the vibrant cityscape of Seoul, this brand-new multimedia immersive exhibition combines visuals and sound to evoke the heritage and spirit of South Korea’s capital city. Having travelled from Seoul, Delight is comprised of 12 digital installations drawing on over 1000 years of history, and will take over the historic tunnels of Borough Yard.
Details: Running until Spring 2024 at Borough Yards (Arch 221, Clink Street, London SE1 9DG).
Bubble Planet
Having debuted in Milan and since expanded to LA and Brussels, the latest arrival on London’s immersive exhibition scene is the family-friendly Bubble Planet. Unleash your inner child and delve into 11 bubble-themed rooms, journeying through fantastical landscapes and interactive scenery. Expect to find colours, lasers, lights, 360-degree projects, virtual reality and, of course, bubbles aplenty.
Details: Now open in Wembley Park (22 Fulton Road, Wembley HA9 0TF). Prices start at £17.90 for adults and £13.90 for children. VIP tickets, group bundles and family passes are also available.
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