Ever wished you could step inside a Van Gogh, walk through a Monet and find yourself surrounded by Dalí, writes Cara Simmonds?
An art gallery isn't usually the place to gasp, run around and sit on the floor - but then again, Frameless is not your typical exhibition.
Just a short walk from Marble Arch tube station at the end of London’s Oxford Street, the immersive new attraction brings iconic artworks to life, allowing visitors to literally “step inside” the frame.
After passing through the doors and down a brightly coloured escalator, there are four rooms to explore: Beyond Reality, Colour in Motion, the World Around Us and the Art of Abstraction.
Each space has its own distinct feel and lasts around 24 minutes. Plus, it is on a loop, so you don’t have to panic that you will miss anything.
As someone who enjoys visiting galleries but often finds myself moving too quickly from one painting to the next, I was curious to see whether Frameless could offer something genuinely different.
My favourite room by far was the World Around Us, which covered the floor to ceiling in projections.
It had some of my favourite work, especially The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh and The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai.
Showcasing a range of sweeping landscapes and scenes from nature, there were some truly breathtaking moments as it transformed from one masterpiece into another.
One minute I was in London with Reflections on the Thames, Westminster by John Atkinson Grimshaw, the next in Venice with The Grand Canal by Canaletto.
What impressed me the most was how easy it was to become completely absorbed in the experience.
Frameless encourages people to slow down and take it all in.
The soundtrack deserves plenty of credit too. It adds a whole other layer, making it almost cinematic. But it’s not just music; you can hear the clink of wine glasses, the mumblings of a crowd and the chirping of birds.
Of course, there will be some who argue that no projection can replace standing in front of an original masterpiece, and they would be right.
I think Frameless is definitely a gateway attraction for people who find traditional galleries intimidating. It also appeals to a much wider audience.
During my visit, I spotted that children were just as captivated as adults, with many youngsters enthusiastically chasing projections across the floor.
It was heartwarming to see them appreciate the artwork and interact, especially in the Colour in Motion room, which uses special tracking technology.
At the moment, there is also a special gallery just for kids, where they can bring their own bold artwork to life.
The Colour Monster Goes to School is a hugely popular book by Anna Llenas, and every child can colour in their own creature before seeing it appear on the walls around them.
Although it is aimed at families with children aged three to seven, I was very tempted to sit down and get creative!
The Colour Monster Goes to School runs until Friday, September 11 and is included with standard Frameless tickets.
So, whether you're a regular gallery-goer like myself, or someone who would usually give art exhibitions a miss, Frameless succeeds in making famous pieces feel new and exciting.
And although it may not replace seeing the real thing, for a couple of hours it offers the next best thing: the closest you'll get to stepping inside a painting, without getting told off by security!
Iliffe Media may receive a small commission from any ticket sales generated by this story
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