Details are as foggy as a Catholic church after the incense burner has passed through, but there’s going to be a Sistine Chapel in London later this year. And for an exhibition about which little is known, the tickets are already on sale.
An “immersive exhibition” from See Global Entertainment, it’s not a replica of the Vatican’s own chapel, which is actually quite small, but more of a room full of the artworks so you can get up close and look at them.
Unlike the images you might have seen elsewhere, you won’t be walking into the chapel, but more likely into a room with replicas of the paintings hanging from the walls.
The location in London is being kept secret for now, which is often code for “still looking for a venue”, which might be worrying, but they have put the same exhibition on in a lot of other cities, so buying a ticket for the London show shouldn’t be a risk.
Although getting up close to the paintings in a space that’s much larger than the Sistine Chapel is a unique opportunity, these are mostly paintings that were never meant to be seen up close and were designed to be viewed from the floor looking up at a heavenly wonder above.
Whether that heavenly awe will be lost in the exhibition remains to be seen.
Unlike the Sistine Chapel — where photography is officially if rarely in practice, banned — here they will let you take photos.
Tickets are on sale here.