Immersive art firm behind Van Gogh and Monet shows files for bankruptcy

The struggles of Lighthouse Immersive, a major player in the booming industry, suggest the trend some critics praised as the future of art' may be short-lived

It has been billed as the future of art" by some critics and praised as a way of bringing some of the world's most iconic masterpieces to a mass audience. But now one of the biggest companies behind the boom in immersive art" has filed for bankruptcy, suggesting the craze could end up being short-lived.

Lighthouse Immersive is a Toronto-based company known for its immersive experiences of Vincent van Gogh, Frida Kahlo and Claude Monet as well as Disney animations. The company was believed to have sold more than 7m tickets to its exhibitions across 18 cities in North America. Yet in June its forthcoming Disney shows in Houston and Atlanta were cancelled without explanation. Now, according to court documents reportedly obtained by Bloomberg News, the company has filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy in the US state of Delaware.