Van Gogh Church in Etten-Leur to host a multimedia Van Gogh experience

Etten-Leur is set to gain a high-quality Van Gogh attraction in the Van Gogh Church thanks to investments from Van Gogh organisations collaborating in Brabant. The municipality of Etten-Leur has approved the sale of the Van Gogh Church to the provincial Van Gogh Sites NV. This step will enable the Vincent van Gogh Etten-Leur Foundation to operate the church on a long-term basis and allow the collaborating Van Gogh organisations to make long-term investments. From spring 2025, visitors will be able to experience Van Gogh’s early years as an artist through a multimedia experience here, at the very place where Van Gogh’s father preached.

Behind the scenes, the Van Gogh Sites Foundation has been working closely with the local Van Gogh Foundation to develop a special and unique experience for the church. The renowned design agency Tinker Imagineers from Utrecht has developed a museum-style, multimedia experience which will be installed over the coming months in the church in Etten, where Vincent’s father was a minister. The story ‘Vincent’s Passion’ explores a still relatively little-known period in Vincent’s life, during which he literally brought colour to the start of his career as an artist.

The organisation and the creators behind the concept for the Van Gogh Church opened the successful Van Gogh Village Museum in Nuenen in 2023. This has since attracted tens of thousands of visitors from home and abroad. Lex Besselink, chair of the Vincent van Gogh Foundation in Etten-Leur, is delighted with this development: “We have been working towards this moment for a very long time. Everyone quickly agreed on the details and the concept, but we also know that we must treat such an important and iconic monument in Etten-Leur with the utmost care. It fits perfectly with the tourism vision of the municipality of Etten-Leur, and the rising visitor numbers are also a boon for businesses in our lovely town centre. We firmly believe that everyone will be proud of this new Van Gogh experience.”

Contributions to the exhibition design

The purchase of the Van Gogh Church marks the start of the process of refurbishment and development of the visitor experience. This requires a substantial investment, to which the Van Gogh Sites Foundation can contribute alongside the grant from Brabant-C. Ankie de Hoon, director of the Vincent van Gogh Etten-Leur Foundation, which operates the Van Gogh Church, does see one challenge ahead: “We have quite a few plans to make the Van Gogh Church a fully-fledged part of the overall Van Gogh heritage. To this end, we are still looking for companies and individuals who would like to support us in this endeavour. By doing so, they can become co-owners of the Van Gogh Church and contribute to the preservation of the Van Gogh monuments in Brabant. We would be delighted to discuss this with the business community.”

Councillor Jean-Pierre Schouw: “We are absolutely delighted with the sale of the Van Gogh Church to Van Gogh Sites NV. This marks an important step in the preservation and further development of this magnificent monument in Etten-Leur. We wish the Vincent van Gogh Etten-Leur Foundation every success in realising their ambitious plans. We look forward to seeing how this unique experience will not only enhance our cultural offering but also benefit our local community and economy.”