Explore FRAMELESS London: Behind the scenes with a curator of the immersive art show

Located in Marble Arch, FRAMELESS has redefined the immersive art space as the UK’s largest permanent multi-sensory experience. Across four galleries, visitors are invited to step inside reimagined masterpieces by some of the world’s greatest artists – where art escapes the frame and connects directly with the senses.

Featuring works from the likes of Monet, Dalí, Van Gogh and Rembrandt, combined with a choreography of sound, light and movement, the gallery doesn’t just bring you closer to your favourite paintings, it reveals hidden details on a grand scale and invites you to step right into their worlds.

I had the chance to explore with Art Curator Rosie O’Connor, uncovering how these visions are brought to life and the little-known gems worth seeking out. It was a journey through time and memory – one you’ll want to experience for yourself!

What is FRAMELESS in London?

FRAMELESS is an immersive art experience spanning more than 30,000 square feet, with four permanent galleries showcasing 47 artworks in unique, interactive ways.

Each gallery highlights a different theme or aspect of the works on display – from the vibrant colours of the paintings, to their dreamlike universes, or their abstract forms.

Alongside these, a fifth gallery hosts rotating exhibitions that change regularly, featuring exciting activations from new and emerging artists.

What will you see at FRAMELESS?

The beauty of FRAMELESS is that it brings artists together across the centuries in ways you’d never encounter in a traditional gallery. Rosie leads me down the escalator, surrounded by a kaleidoscope of mirrors reflecting coloured lights, itself an immersive experience and a portal to the artworks. She explains that each installation uses different technology designed to complement the art and bring it to life, with audio making up half of the experience.

“We wanted to choose artworks that were familiar to people, but we also didn’t want to be predictable. That’s why we included artists you may not have heard of or seen before,” Rosie says. “Using the technology, we’ve been able to stitch different artworks together to create a three-dimensional environment – which also means we’re able to showcase more art.”

There’s no set route here, instead, you’re invited to wander freely, revisit favourites and discover new perspectives. The journey unfolds across four distinct galleries – Beyond Reality, Colour in Motion, The Art of Abstraction, and The World Around Us.

Beyond Reality – other worlds, dreams and the surreal

The first gallery you encounter at FRAMELESS, Beyond Reality, instantly transports you beyond the boundaries of the everyday. From surrealism to symbolism to post‑impressionism and beyond, it places you at the very heart of these dramatic artworks.

The only mirrored gallery, Rosie describes it as an Alice in Wonderland moment – like falling down the rabbit hole, where each artwork seems endless. The mirror mode amplifies the surreal nature of the pieces, adding yet another dimension to their dreamlike quality.

The room shifts through different environments: Rousseau’s jungle in The Dream, the underwater world of Lowinsky’s The Dawn of Venus, and Dalí’s The Elephants striding across a desert landscape. Each scene immerses you in a fantastical world, swirling into Munch’s The Scream, accompanied by a dramatic score. Few places allow you to be surrounded by such combinations and transported so completely into the otherworldly.

Author’s tip: Move around the room to view the artworks from different angles. Each perspective reveals new details you might otherwise miss.

Colour in Motion – colour in a fascinating new way

Stepping into Colour in Motion feels like entering an artist’s playground, where every brushstroke and splash of paint bursts from the masterpieces as round, leaf‑like forms that can be caught, thrown and bounced across the room thanks to advanced motion tracking.

Focusing on impressionism, post‑impressionism and pointillism, this interactive space celebrates the very act of mark‑making. “We actually cut out every single brushstroke from every artwork, lifted them into a painted palette on the floor, and as you move through, they find their place back in the work,” explains Rosie, as the strokes scatter and reform on the walls while I walk through the pixels of Van Gogh’s Self Portrait.

Rosie highlights the subtle colours Van Gogh layered into his face and beard – with unexpected greens revealed through the technology. A favourite immersive element of mine, this room lets you “paint” with pixels: stand beneath the bridge in Monet’s Waterlily Pond or wander through Morisot’s Garden at Bougival.

The Art of Abstraction – a maze of colour, shape and form

Led into this gallery space, I’m immediately captivated by bold abstract shapes that seem to float and drift across multi‑layered, translucent wall surfaces. Rosie notes there are 17 surfaces in total, in the only room where the projections moved inward rather than outward.

“This is where we create abstract within abstract art,” Rosie explains, as the gallery reimagines the works in a new way, inviting you to walk among the objects, shapes and colours that define this unique era of abstraction which flourished in the 20th century.

The shifting forms challenge both eye and mind, from Klint’s The Ten Largest, Youth to Kandinsky’s Yellow-Red-Blue, and finally to the familiar geometric squares of Klee’s Ancient Harmony.

The World Around Us – landscapes, cityscapes and seascapes

The largest of all the galleries, The World Around Us instantly draws you into the centre of landscape art’s awe‑inspiring drama, moving seamlessly from the Renaissance to the Romantics and into the post‑impressionist era.

The artworks take your breath away – you feel as though you’re in the eye of the storm during Rembrandt’s The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, then standing at the edge of a volcano in Joseph Wright of Derby’s Vesuvius in Eruption, gazing out over the Islands in the Bay of Naples.

As Van Gogh’s The Starry Night spills across the walls, Rosie explains that he painted it when his nephew was born. It’s a celebration of new life, perfectly complemented with the moving score as the swirling brushstrokes spread around you.

Who are the visionaries behind FRAMELESS?

FRAMELESS is led by Creative Director Ryan Atwood and a multi-talented team of animators, spatial designers, visual‑effects specialists, composers and more. Together, they craft an immersive art experience that blends historic and contemporary works with cutting‑edge technology.

Its official production partner, Cinesite – an acclaimed digital studio with more than three decades of experience on world‑class films, TV and streaming projects, including Harry Potter, James Bond and Marvel titles – brings its renowned visual‑effects expertise to the experience, helping transform artworks into living, breathing environments.

Rosie explains that specialists are brought in for different effects: “If we’re creating a Rembrandt scene, they’ll bring in people who specialise in water effects. For a volcano, you’d lean more into fire specialists. Each expert contributes to the overall vision, which is part of the unique regime that makes FRAMELESS so distinctive.”

What are some hidden gems to look out for?

Reflections on the Thames by Grimshaw, shown in The World Around Us, is a piece that feels instantly familiar to London. Grimshaw became renowned for his atmospheric night scenes during Victorian London, a time when the city was thick with smog. Yet he transformed these murky settings into moonlit, breathtaking landscapes.

As Rosie explains, the figures along the embankment are life‑sized, so you feel as though you’re inside the artwork. “If you get close, there’s someone reading a newspaper – and it’s got Jack the Ripper on it,” she notes, pointing out the shadow of the infamous figure hidden within the scene.

This work was reinterpreted by George the Poet in a spoken‑word response, a powerful piece reframing the artwork through the lens of modern London and the voices of its youth. Part of FRAMELESS’s Art of Expression programme, the poem could be experienced via QR codes in the gallery, offering a fresh perspective from the city’s next generation.

Another highlight is the chance to see small works expanded to monumental scale, revealing details often missed. Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights, found in Beyond Reality, is a richly detailed painting originally just 220cm by 195cm, housed in Madrid’s Museo del Prado. Here, it is blown up so you can marvel at its riotous depictions of indulgence, with biblical figures and fantastical oversized creatures.

“You can see all these incredible details in the painting that you wouldn’t notice in real life because you can’t get close enough,” Rosie says. “That’s what’s really special – how technology enhances the artwork. We’re not taking anything away, we’re celebrating the artist and showing the audience every detail.”

Look out for the lush, swaying paradise where Adam and Eve encounter God, and Bosch’s hybrid animals moving in unison with other characters.

What not to miss when watching the immersive art show

FRAMELESS offers the chance to be wowed by dramatic and enticing artworks. Rosie shares that Rembrandt's The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, shown in The World Around Us gallery, is one of the works she's most proud of, not only for its astounding nature but also because you can’t see it anywhere else.

“It’s special because that painting was stolen in 1990 and has never been found, so you can’t go and see it. I think we’ve done an amazing job of honouring the artist and the beautiful painting that it is,” Rosie says. “We’ve elevated the experience to something beyond our wildest dreams. People come out having felt something really deeply – and that really works.”

With so many immersive elements woven into each piece, from storms crashing to nature springing to life, Rosie emphasises the importance of slowing down and truly absorbing each artwork. She describes the transitions as a kind of “palette cleanser”, where the music shifts into something calm and serene, allowing shoulders to drop and visitors to feel refreshed before moving on to the next scene.

How does FRAMELESS work with the artists to get the final result?

With many of the artists featured in the galleries no longer with us, Rosie highlights the team’s deep commitment to honouring their work. Whether it’s animators, composers or the technical crew, everyone plays a role in ensuring the art is treated with respect.

“We’re not using technology to overshadow the artwork,” Rosie explains. “We’re trying to tell the story of the artwork – bringing it to life in a respectful and magical way. It’s about using technology to make people feel more, and that’s where the music comes in too.”

Technology here is not a distraction but an extension of storytelling, enhancing the experience in ways that align with the spirit of the original artists – many of whom were themselves innovators who would likely embrace such tools today.

FRAMELESS also works to connect young people with art. Through programmes like Art of Expression, the gallery makes art accessible to everyone, offering a fresh experience that can act as a bridge to more traditional galleries and inspire visitors to seek out the originals.

The fifth gallery, Blank Space, provides opportunities for digital and contemporary artists to showcase their work to wider audiences than they might otherwise reach in traditional settings. In partnership with the Royal College of Art, FRAMELESS hosts graduate shows in this gallery, giving emerging artists a platform to share their creations with thousands of visitors. Supporting upcoming talent is a core part of the vision.

What’s coming up at FRAMELESS?

From 12 January to 13 February, join FRAMELESS for a new immersive experience in the Blank Canvas Gallery. Breathpod Founder and BBC Radio 1 Decompression Sessions host Stuart Sandeman introduces Enter the Breathpod – a powerful multi‑sensory experience designed to help you reconnect and reset for the new year.

Guided by Stuart’s signature Breathpod method, which blends breathwork, music and neuroscience to promote focus and balance, you’ll embark on a fully immersive, breath‑led journey within FRAMELESS’ fifth gallery.

There will also be a special edition of FRAMELESS Lates on 17 January to mark the launch of the new residency, where you can experience the new activation alongside stunning immersive art, live DJ sets and a complimentary Clean Cocktail crafted by Clean Co as you explore the galleries.

From hidden gems to breathtaking masterpieces, discover FRAMELESS and experience the stories behind the art.