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Van Gogh
NYC, 2022
Project Overview
Project Overview
Duration: 2 months
This case study is a part of my M.A. thesis project.
WALKING IN A PAINTING
The rapid development of accessible digital technologies has enabled agencies to create immersive and interactive exhibits that engage the senses.
The Van Gogh immersive exhibit surrounds spectators with artistic elements, creating an environment that fosters a multi-sensory experience, allowing viewers to feel completely immersed in the experience.
However, do visitors feel entirely immersed in the experience? I observed that the agencies designing these exhibitions do not consider the subject of experience.
Goals
Goals
This project aims to understand the experience of immersive environments by focusing on the following:
Understanding how the components of the immersive exhibits are experienced
Defining the factors that affect immersion
Evaluating the immersive experience from a cultural point of view.
My Role
My Role
This research is a part of my thesis. Which is why I carried out all the steps of this project myself:
Research design,
Research process,
Analysis,
The report and presentation.
Methodology
Methodology
FIELD RESEARCH
Since this project aims to understand how people experience their surrounding environments, field research is used to understand immersion and other influential factors, while observing visitors throughout the exhibit.
Participant Observation: being in the field as a participant and an observer allows the researcher to understand the experience and interaction of the visitors directly and to establish a more natural communication with the spectators.
Netnography: Research conducted on social media platforms allows a wider view of the reactions to the exhibit.
Research Process
Research Process
STEP 1:
DESK RESEARCH
Reviewing studies focused on culture, art, and technology and examining their connection with human interaction and experience.
Aiming to understand the human experience from the aesthetics, psychology, new media, and the anthropology field.
STEP 2:
PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION
Self Analysis:
To better analyze the participant’s experience of the exhibit, I needed to understand and analyze my own experience.
Direct Observation:
The data is collected by observing the visitor’s experiences without altering the environment.
STEP 3:
NETNOGRAPHY
Since this exhibit is mainly designed to be Instagram-friendly, social media platforms are helpful for data collecting.
The platforms were defined by using desk research techniques and one-on-one interviews:
Twitter,
Reddit,
Instagram,
Tiktok.
Analysis: Qualitative Data Analysis
Analysis: Qualitative Data Analysis
Literature Review
Specific connections and how they relate to the project are defined.
Themes are identified.
A synthesis chart is used to organize the sources and the main ideas.
Grounded-theory
The data obtained from the interviews was iteratively evaluated.
Throughout the process of constant comparison, the patterns and structures were conceptualized.
The categories, themes, and sub-themes were defined, and then the concepts were linked to the theories of aesthetics and anthropology.
Affinity Mapping
The qualitative research data was organized thematically to analyze the information.
This showed the similarities and differences between the themes.
Key Findings
Key Findings
The experience contains a variety of elements. This has both a positive and negative effect on immersion:
The positive effect is allowing spectators to gain knowledge about Van Gogh, helping with the immersion feeling.
The negative effect is that the experience is fragmented, due to the constant shifting of focus and attention.
In the ads of the exhibit, the video mapping experience offers the viewer an active experience; however, in reality, the exhibit presents a passive viewing experience. This causes the experience not to be as expected, leading to disappointment.
Key Insights
Key Insights
The participant's knowledge of the art directly affects how they experience it.
Due to the art landscape of New York, visitors are well-versed in artistic knowledge; thus, the show does not appeal to the city's culture and does not provide a satisfying experience to some audiences.
On the other hand, it makes art accessible to those who consider museums and art as high-status and feel as though "it's not for me.”
The exhibit offers a form of entertainment/education for families with young children.
Field Photos
Field Photos
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