Van Gogh at the Drive-Thru? As Museums Remain on Lockdown, a Toronto Exhibition Is Treating Viewers to the Dutch Master’s Art in Their Cars

Visitors to the Toronto exhibition can experience the sound-and-light show from their cars.

With social distancing regulations in force, and many uncomfortable attending in-person events, there has been a renewed interest in drive-in experiences. The growing appeal of drive-in movies has inspired others to experiment with live events such as drive-in concerts and raves—and now, an art exhibition.

An immersive sound-and-light show of Van Gogh paintings in Toronto, Canada, is experimenting with the drive-in model after its original plans for a walk-through exhibition were sunk by the public health situation. The exhibition in Toronto has adapted to allow some visitors to take their cars through the show while it remains impossible to stage the blockbuster experience as planned.

“Presenting cultural events during this time of COVID-19 is an incredible challenge and we are saddened to see the cultural calendar in Toronto diminished as almost all arts institutions have cancelled their events and laid off their artists and staff,” the organizers of the event write in a statement. “We have been working around the clock to come up with innovative approaches that will make presenting ‘Immersive Van Gogh’ safe for our audiences.”