You can pull a Blue’s Clues and jump right into a painting thanks to artist Leo Burnett and the Art Institute of Chicago. Except instead of taking a literal leap of faith into a 2-D image all you have to do is rent the room on Airbnb, and it’s only $10 per night. Except the room, open from Feb. 14-March 10 is already totally booked. Don’t lose hope though! Since it’s safe to assume that at least some of the couples staying there are actually couples, all you have to do is break one of them up and insert yourself into the situation.
“We thought the best way to help people understand Van Gogh’s life was to invite them to spend a night in this room,” said Burnett’s associate creative director Pete Lefebvre. The room is based off of the three versions of Van Gogh’s painting The Bedroom, also known as Bedroom in Arles.
These paintings depict his room at what is known as the Yellow House in Arles, France.
The Yellow House at the Van Gogh Museum
Fun fact, Van Gogh was roommates with Paul Gauguin while living in the Yellow House. They even occasionally painted each other:
Paul Gauguin, The Painter of Sunflowers: Portrait of Vincent van Gogh, at the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
The Art Institute of Chicago commissioned this painted room from Burnett as a way to gain publicity. The Institute has housed one of the versions of the paintings for years, and they hoped to bring a fresh perspective to the art by allowing people to be literally surrounded by it. Even though the room is already booked up, you can still purchase tickets to the upcoming exhibit focused on the painting. The exhibit features a to-scale replica of the room.
By: Maya
Contributor
I have never had the opportunity to see an original Van Gogh painting, but I would love to sleep in Van Gogh's bed and feel what it would be like.