Van Gogh Philly’s “Immersive” exhibition has been postponed

A much-anticipated ‘immersive’ Van Gogh digital show, which is slated to open somewhere at some point this week, has been delayed, a spokesperson for ‘Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience’ said on Monday, compounding the frustration of those who have already purchased tickets. .

“Due to the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on global transportation logistics, we have encountered delays in the arrivals of shipments for the Philadelphia experiment,” the spokesperson said in an email. “Despite our best efforts to meet the scheduled opening date, ‘Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience’ will be delayed.”

Tickets, which range from $ 34.90 to $ 44.50 for adults, have been sold for shows starting August 12. There is no indication of canceled dates on the site.

On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the show said a new opening date had been set for August 26.

“We have alerted all ticket holders directly to the postponement, making sure they hear about the change from us,” a spokesperson said in an email Wednesday. “We are proactively reaching out to all affected ticket holders and giving them options and as much flexibility as possible to choose new dates or get a refund.”

Another spokesperson said on Wednesday that Fever was not yet finished contacting all ticket buyers about the cancellations. She said the process should be completed by Thursday.

Adding to the frustration is the presenters’ insistence that the show be staged in an undisclosed “secret location”.

Jean Brubaker of Philadelphia bought 26 tickets in June for a visit to the show in August from his women’s group. She was not informed of the cancellation and was unable to obtain any information on the venue, a refund or another date from the operators of the show. So far, it’s $ 1,000, she said.

“This is all just disgusting,” she said. “The surprise location was supposed to make it more exciting, wasn’t it?” But they don’t communicate with their ticket buyers. I bought the tickets in mid-June. My tickets are for August 16th. And I didn’t hear anything from them.

She said she sent out several emails looking for information.

“I continued to try to be patient and to keep my 26 people patient. At this point, I don’t know what to do.

A Facebook user posted a few days ago that she had purchased tickets for Sunday, but when she searched for her tickets on the Fever website, she indicated that the show had been canceled, “but they’re selling. always tickets. Can anyone shed some light on this? “The only response to her post was from another Facebook user who questioned the legitimacy of the show and said” it did the same for mine”.

The Better Business Bureau said it has received more than 600 complaints in the past year regarding Fever’s ticketing operations and communications.

Specifically in Philadelphia, the show sparked eight complaints through July, which had been handled by Fever, said Luana Lewis, senior vice president of programs and services at the Better Business Bureau, Metro New York.

All of these complaints were made between March, when Van Gogh was announced and the tickets were first offered for sale, and July.

“Other complaints can go through our complaint handling system, which allows the company to respond to the consumer,” Lewis said. “I understand there are pending complaints that staff are working on. Among them, none are from Philadelphia.

Most of the complaints, which are readily available on the BBB website, relate to cancellations related to the pandemic, lack of response from Fever, lack of refunds and inadequate dates to replace canceled shows.

The state attorney general’s office said it had not received any complaints about the show, but consumers who feel aggrieved can contact the office at 717-787-9707.

Various company spokespersons have stressed that pandemic precautions are a priority for emissions. How this could work practically could not be determined.

The exact nature of the pandemic logistical disruption affecting the opening of Philadelphia has also remained unclear. But the lack of a publicly announced opening date would seem to fit with the show’s plan to open in what they call a “secret venue.”

A spokesperson said on Wednesday that the so-called “secret location” was located in Upper Darby and was not a factor in the postponement. Its location is withheld, he said, to “create a buzz.”

“Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” was announced in March at the same time that another “immersive” digital Van Gogh was playing in Chicago, garnering media attention and confusing ticket buyers.

Corey Ross, president of Lighthouse Immersive, producer of Chicago Van Gogh, told The Inquirer at the time that New York ticket buyers were confused because his Van Gogh and the Philadelphia Van Gogh were planning tours in New York. .

There are now so many different Van Gogh shows touring the country, the Better Business Bureau has published a tip sheet for reckless consumers.

“Art lovers, beware! the advice sheet reads. “Several exhibitions featuring post-impressionist artist Vincent Van Gogh are planned in some cities in North America, but they offer different experiences. The sound names of the events are confusing, and some fans are frustrated that they bought tickets for an event but then realized that it was not the one they wanted. “

The Philadelphia Van Gogh, which has been staged in Atlanta, Miami, Washington and New York, is presented by entertainment producer Exhibition Hub and entertainment platform Fever.

“The challenge is that Van Gogh is in the public domain,” said Corey Ross, of Van Gogh of Chicago. “They are five [shows] that I know that exist ”which employ the work of the artist.