In Too Deep? Visitor Immersion and Personal Relevance in an Immersive Art Exhibition

Immersive exhibitions are commonly associated with both immersion and personal relevance, yet empirical evidence does not consistently show that one gives rise to the other. Moreover, less is known about how immersion and personal relevance emerge through visitors’ encounters with immersive environments. To address these issues, the study investigates how visitors experienced immersion and personal relevance within an immersive art exhibition. Drawing on Carù and Cova’s experiential consumption framework, the analysis is based on 28 qualitative postvisit interviews. Findings reveal that immersion and personal relevance did not necessarily cooccur, giving rise to distinct experiential patterns. Based on these patterns, the study develops a typology of experiential configurations comprising Sensory Seekers, Reflective Connectors, Personal Resonators, and Detached Observers. By demonstrating how immersion and personal relevance may combine in different ways, the study helps explain why the same immersive environment can generate markedly different visitor experiences and offers theoretical and practical implications.