In February 2016, the Art Institute of Chicago curated the “Van Gogh’s Bedrooms” exhibition, a combination of three of Vincent van Gogh’s bedroom paintings for the first time in North American history. The bedroom series is based on Van Gogh’s “Yellow House” in Arles, France, 1888, and is arguably one of the most famous bedrooms in art history. The first bedroom painting comes from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the second is housed at the Art Institute of Chicago, and the third is from Musee D’orsay in Paris.
In celebration of this historic exhibition, the Art Institute of Chicago developed a brilliant partnership with Airbnb to recreate Van Gogh’s bedroom and allow fans of the exhibition to spend a night in Van Gogh’s digs. The bedroom, located on the 29th floor of the Bridge Street apartments next door to the Hotel Palomar, is an ideal location for this type of excursion. The one-bedroom condo offered picturesque views of the Chicago skyline, a contemporary apartment design, Wi-Fi, full kitchen, and tons of great restaurants and nightlife. Check-in is simple and the process definitely scores points for future Airbnb consideration.
Van Gogh’s bedroom recreation is art examining art from a fourth dimension. Guests have an opportunity to walk inside a painting and experience life as Van Gogh did over a century ago. Those who have visited Paris and stayed in the tight quarters so common of Parisian apartments will appreciate the cramped quarters and dim lighting. As an added touch, guests receive a letter from Van Gogh with a few necessary details to enjoy the stay.
The essence of art is creativity, so the expectation for one of the world’s greatest museums is high for an exhibition of this magnitude, but this marketing execution was incredible by even the Art Institute of Chicago’s standards. For those who have yet to experience it, ‘Van Gogh’s Bedroom’s” runs through May 10 in Regenstein Hall at the Art Institute of Chicago. Make sure to catch both the exhibition and the Airbnb while you can. As you can imagine, the demand for this type of experience is extremely high, so don’t procrastinate.
