While I have fond memories of past efforts to combine VR content with real-world locations, I’d assumed the pandemic had put those ambitions to an end. If I wanted VR in 2024, I thought I’d have to buy a headset, and it would be a largely solitary experience at home or in the office — not something I shared with a crowd in a converted retail space.
But a new immersive experience proved me wrong.
Created by French startup Excurio in collaboration with the Musée d’Orsay and another startup, Eclipso, “Tonight With The Impressionists, Paris 1874” commemorates the 150th anniversary of the first Impressionist art exhibition by taking visitors back to 19th century Paris — first onto the city’s streets, then into the exhibition itself, then to other key locations from Impressionist history.
After launching in France and Atlanta, “Tonight With The Impressionists” opened Friday at the Eclipso Center in New York. (As I understand it, Eclipso provides the space for virtual reality experiences, while Excurio created the VR content.) Like other Excurio experiences, this one uses VR to make history and culture more accessible, while also providing a showcase for the company’s tech.
At a press event earlier in the week, my partner and I joined a long line of people donning VR headsets before stepping into a large white room — 11,000 featureless square feet that would be transformed into apartments, galleries, lakeside retreats, and more.
Unlike The Void (my main reference point for this type of experience), Excurio and Eclipso don’t attempt to build a physical space or provide props that correspond to the virtual experience. That means the Eclipso Center can host multiple experiences at the same time, but it can also lead to some awkward moments — like when the virtual environment sloped upward while the actual floor stayed flat, or when a Parisian sofa was blocked by a floating red X, reminding us that we’d end up on the floor if we tried to sit down.
Despite the awkwardness, it really felt like we were in Paris, gazing at classic paintings and speaking to their creators. In perhaps the most breathtaking moment, we shared a balcony with Claude Monet as he painted “Impression, Sunrise,” with his work expanding beyond the canvas to fill the horizon.
Excurio highlights the fact that its experiences don’t require you to wear bulky VR backpacks, just the headsets, and that it allows for many participants at once — in fact, the company says it recently broke the record of more supporting than 100 simultaneous, free-roaming participants in the same space. It manages those crowds by offering a specific narrative that leads you through the space; with staggered start times, there shouldn’t be much risk of bumping into someone else.
In practice, our crowd was dense enough that we frequently saw the white silhouettes indicating the proximity of a real person. We never bumped into them, but it added a bit of traffic-dodging stress to the experience. And in the end, the 45 minutes of “Tonight With The Impressionists” felt a bit long for relative VR newbies like us — enough time to feel some eye strain and discomfort from the equipment.
Still, I haven’t really experienced anything like it. It’s worth checking out for anyone interested in Impressionist art, and even more in the creative and educational possibilities of VR.
