An indoor shopping mall between Dallas and Fort Worth will be transformed this winter into a virtual masterpiece guided by divine inspiration.

Part of Irving Mall will be recast as Michelangelo’s iconic Roman master work, the Sistine Chapel. The transformation will unfold as part of an internationally touring experience known as “Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition,” taking place at the mall near DFW Airport, February 4-March 20, 2022.

Billed as “an immersive, museum-quality, near life-size reproduction” of the frescoes that adorn the actual Sistine Chapel, the exhibition showcases 34 reproductions — including the awe-inspiring The Creation of Adam and The Last Judgment scenes — in their original size, but recreated through a special printing technique and displayed at eye level. The exhibition aims to give viewers the chance to explore the artwork up close, down to every brushstroke, in a way that a visit to the Sistine Chapel never could.

“Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition” isn’t new to Texas; the international tour, which began in 2015, visited Corinthian Houston in 2018 and the now-shuttered Women’s Museum in Dallas a year or so before that. Tickets for the show’s Irving Mall residency are coming soon online.

While it’s true there is nothing that can replace viewing this magnificent artistic achievement in its home in Vatican City, the exhibition is designed to immerse viewers in the marriage of art and technology, giving art enthusiasts a new perspective on Michelangelo’s masterpiece.

Immersive experiences that allow viewers to step inside paintings are emerging as the hottest art trend of 2021. Dallas-Fort Worth currently has two different Van Gogh "immersive" experiences, and a similar Frida Kahlo event is coming to Dallas soon.

According to the website, once the exhibition is unveiled in February, it will be open for viewing 10 am-6 pm Wednesdays through Saturdays and 12-6 pm Sundays. The entire visit will take around 60 to 90 minutes.

The Sistine Chapel is coming back to Dallas-Fort Worth.

  

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition

The Sistine Chapel is coming back to Dallas-Fort Worth.