Time For Visitors To 'Beyond Monet' At New Immersive LI Exhibit

WESTBURY, NY — Following the popularity of the Beyond Van Gogh floor-to-ceiling exhibit, it's time for another iconic artist to take over the Samenea New York Mall.

The legendary landscapes of Claude Monet will fill the Old Country Road space starting Oct. 7.

Art historian Fanny Curtat is a consultant and part of the creative team bringing the works of Van Gogh and now Monet to life.

"The setting will be similar, but the journey is entirely different," Curtat told Patch.

Paquin Entertainment Group is the company that handles the awe-inspiring, cutting-edge technology.

Curtat said Paquin only needs about a week to convert Samenea from Van Gogh to Monet.

"It's quite incredible how quickly they do it," she said.

Once it's ready, visitors aren't just greeted by the famous paintings, they walk and sit in the midst of them.

"[Monet] is trying to capture every single element of light and beauty in the world," she said.

Arguably, Monet's most famous work was "Water Lilies." It's estimated he painted them 250 times during the 30 years of his life.

"He does describe it exactly as an immersive experience, you're just floating, you're in the middle of it," she said. "An experience like this, in his case, is really just an extension of what he was trying already to achieve."

But beyond the "Water Lilies," guests will watch more than 400 Monet paintings in front of their eyes.

"It really feels like you're looking into something bigger. You really feel like you're in the middle of something grander," Curtat said. "It feels almost like an inner landscape."

As was the case with the Van Gogh predecessor, Curtat knows this exhibit will stimulate all ages, even if they are not familiar with Monet's portfolio.

Tickets range from $25.99 for flexible entry to $75.99 for peak VIP entry. Beyond Monet is scheduled to run until Jan. 2.