- author Dan Brown is developing an immersive exhibition with Van Gogh Immersive creator Massimiliano Siccardi, debuting in 2026.
- The experience will let visitors explore Leonardo da Vinci’s inventions and artworks through large-scale projections and interactive environments.
- Produced by Brett Kerr and Andrea Bari, the project aims to merge art, technology, and storytelling, expanding the possibilities of immersive entertainment.
Dan Brown’s religious thriller is getting the immersive exhibition treatment.
As first reported by the entertainment publication , Brown has teamed up with Massimiliano Siccardi, the mind behind the wildly successful Van Gogh Immersive experience, which has been staged in cities across Europe, Asia, and the U.S.
“The visceral power of immersive experiences has always fascinated and moved me,” Brown said in a statement. “I’m beyond excited to be developing this project with the legendary artist Massimiliano Siccardi.”
Brown’s bestselling book from 2003 follows Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon and cryptologist Sophie Neveu who become entangled in a murder investigation at the Louvre that brings them into contact with secret religious societies. The main conspiracy is that the early kings of France were descended from the bloodline of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene. In 2008, a film adaptation of the book was released starring Tom Hanks, Audrey Tatou, and Ian McKellen. It grossed $800 million.
Exterior of Immersive Van Gogh at Pier 26. Photo by Ben Davis.
Although details of the venture’s creative partners and opening venues won’t be announced until early 2026, Siccardi has described the scope and intention of the project, calling it “a journey through the mind of Leonardo—his inventions, his obsessions, his brilliance—and the unveiling of Da Vinci works the world has never seen.” Expect to soar above the Tuscan hills in an ornithopter, roll through Paris in an armored tank, and come face-to-face with Leonardo’s mechanical lion, all while solving the greatest of ecclesiastical mysteries.
immersive experience is being backed by U.S. film producers Brett Kerr and Andrea Bari. Kerr’s most recent feature was , a drama starring Billy Zane as Marlon Brando who is trying to build an eco-retreat on an uninhabited island of Tahiti.
“We’re thrilled to help build a bridge between the genius of Da Vinci and the limitless possibilities of immersive art,” Bari and Kerr said in a statement. “This is about expanding how audiences experience wonder — and rewriting the boundaries between art, technology, and emotion.”
It’s not the first time the Renaissance master’s work has fueled an immersive experience. Last year, the Lume, in Melbourne, Australia, staged “Leonardo da Vinci – 500 Years of Genius.” The exhibition, created by the Australia-based entertainment company Grande Experiences, projected some of the artist’s most celebrated paintings, offered the world’s only exact 360-degree replica of , and presented pages from the , the 12-volume set of drawings and writings by Leonardo that is housed in Milan.
“Leonardo da Vinci – 500 Years of Genius” Installation View. Image courtesy of The Lume.
Fully immersive, multi-sensory experiences have rapidly grown in popularity in recent years, with some citing the appearance of the Immersive Van Gogh in the hit Netflix show as a breakthrough moment. Investor money has poured in and today artists including David Hockney, Gustav Klimt, and Claude Monet have all seen their work turned into immersive experiences.
Source: Exhibition - news.artnet.com
