About six months ago, my family and I went to see Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience and were blown away by the visuals. We recently had a similar experience with the new exhibit, Beyond Monet: The Immersive Experience. The exhibit features over 400 of Claude Monet’s famous works of art in one large room, in a similar concept to the Van Gogh exhibit. Claude Monet (1840-1926) was a French painter and a leading figure of the Impressionist art movement. He was a prolific artist, creating over 2,000 works during his career. He is best known for his series of paintings featuring water lilies, haystacks, and the Rouen Cathedral, which demonstrate his fascination with capturing light and atmosphere. Here’s a glimpse of what the exhibit is like:
At the beginning of the exhibit, there are multiple slides with information about Monet’s life and art. I thought it was really interesting to read how he came up with some of his most famous paintings.
Once you enter the large room, you begin the immersive experience: walls covered with giant slides displaying artwork that keeps rotating, music is played in the background, and sound effects are played: the sounds of waves splashing during the slides of the paintings of the sea; the sounds of birds chirping during the slides of the paintings of gardens. It seemed so real, I almost felt as if I was part of the paintings.
The slides play in a loop in no particular order, so you can enter the main exhibit room at any time, but it just felt to me that the paintings kept getting more and more impressive and each painting was more beautiful than the one before. Monet’s “Impression, Sunrise” (1872) gave the Impressionist movement its name and is considered a pivotal work in the development of modern art. Monet’s “Water Lilies” series, which comprises approximately 250 paintings, is a prime example of his dedication to exploring the harmony of color and nature. His series paintings often depicted the same subject under different conditions, providing a unique insight into his exploration of light and color. His art had a profound influence on the development of modern art, and his legacy continues to be celebrated worldwide.
Claude Monet’s innovative approach to painting and his dedication to capturing the essence of light and nature had a lasting impact on the art world.
The exhibit, which takes about an hour to go through, is located inside the Samanea Mall, at 1500 Old Country Road, Westbury, NY.
Open through January 7.
Sunday: 11am – 6pm (last entry 5pm)
Monday & Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday & Thursday: 11am – 7pm (last entry 6 pm)
Friday & Saturday: 11am – 9pm (last entry 8pm)
Price is $35.99 adult off-peak; $25.99 child (ages 5-15) off-peak. Peak hours is an additional $5 per ticket. Kids 4 and under are free. Click here to purchase tickets.
I was not compensated for this post. I received tickets.
Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman is a PR consultant and freelance writer and has written for several blogs, including The Huffington Post. She has been living in the New York City area for over twenty years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree. Maytal is a mom to three kids, ages 16, 14 and 11.
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