Courtesy of Lighthouse Immersive
I scene from the Immersive Klimt exhibition at Detroits former Ligthouse ArtSpace.
Between 2021 and 2023, the immersive art trend hit Detroit hard. It seemed like every few months there was another new “immersive” show: Immersive Van Gogh, Immersive Klimt, Immersive Disney, Immersive King Tut. We were typing “immersive” so much it stopped looking like a real word.
But it seems like the immersive trend has died down in Detroit, especially with news of the closing of Lighthouse ArtSpace, which hosted the Van Gogh, Klimt, Disney and King Tut experiences.
We suspected Lighthouse ArtSpace had shuttered back in December when we noticed no future exhibits had been announced for the space following the conclusion of Immersive Disney in October. The Lighthouse Artspace website had also been removed, and when we called to inquire, Detroit was no longer listed as an option. Crain’s Detroit Business confirmed Lighthouse ArtSpace’s closure on Wednesday.
“In 2023, two of Lighthouse Immersive’s companies went through corporate restructuring under the (Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act) process,” Lighthouse Immersive President Corey Ross told Crain’s. “Management decided to close several locations including Lighthouse Detroit and focus on touring productions. This refocus has been successful with touring shows currently running in Japan, Singapore, Mexico, USA and Canada.”
Lighthouse Immersive, the Canadian company that helmed Lighthouse ArtSpace, filed for bankruptcy in July and was forced to close several of its locations that summer after being locked out for not paying rent.
Ticketholders for Immersive Disney in Atlanta were met with a sign on the door that read, “Lighthouse Immersive, the producers of Immersive Disney Animation, has not made the payments necessary to keep this venue operational. We are saddened by this very unfortunate turn of events, and we are hopeful the producer will remedy the situation as quickly as possible.”
In addition to Detroit, Lighthouse Immersive had locations in Toronto, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, and Las Vegas. Now the company’s website only lists Toronto, Chicago, and Las Vegas.
The Harmonie Club Building that Lighthouse ArtSpace occupied is owned by Detroit-based company Basco. Vice President of real estate for Basco Nevan Shokar told Crain’s Lighthouse Immersive owed them over $300,000 and they were only able to recover $50,000. According to Crain’s, the space is transitioning to a banquet hall facility.
We saw Lighthouse’s Immersive King Tut show, which paired an interesting concept (Egyptian mythology) with flat and uninspiring visuals.
We’ve always felt like immersive art was a bad trend for people who don’t appreciate real art that takes time and talent to produce. We’d much rather see an exhibit at the Detroit Institute of Arts or any number of local galleries than pixelated images projected on the wall like a bad drive-in movie.
Rest in peace, Lighthouse ArtSpace.
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Randiah Camille Green
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