Thinking of visiting Frameless London? Read our honest review of this immersive art experience, including highlights, tips and whether it’s worth visiting.
Overview
London is home to some of the world’s most famous museums and galleries, but Frameless takes a very different approach to experiencing art. Instead of quietly admiring paintings from behind barriers, visitors are invited to step inside them.
Located near Marble Arch, Frameless is an immersive digital art experience that transforms iconic masterpieces into large-scale animated environments using projection technology, sound and motion. Across four galleries, works by artists such as Van Gogh, Monet, Rembrandt, Dalí and Kandinsky are brought to life in ways that traditional galleries simply cannot achieve.
When we visited Frameless, we couldn’t help comparing it to our previous experiences at teamLab Planets in Tokyo. While Frameless doesn’t reach quite the same level of immersion, it delivers a similar concept in a much more accessible setting for visitors to London. More importantly, it stands on its own as an enjoyable and memorable attraction.
Whether you’re visiting London for the first time, looking for a rainy-day activity or simply curious about immersive art, here’s everything you need to know before visiting Frameless.
What is Frameless London?
Frameless is the UK’s largest permanent immersive art experience.
Rather than displaying original artworks, the exhibition uses cutting-edge projection technology, animation and specially curated soundtracks to reinterpret famous paintings as living, moving environments.
Visitors can wander freely through the galleries, watch artworks evolve around them and experience familiar masterpieces from entirely new perspectives.
The exhibition is divided into four galleries:
- Beyond Reality
- Colour in Motion
- The World Around Us
- The Art of Abstraction
Each gallery focuses on a different artistic theme and creates its own atmosphere through sound, movement and storytelling.
Where is Frameless London?
Frameless is conveniently located just a few minutes’ walk from Marble Arch Underground Station in central London.
Address:
6 Marble Arch
London W1H 7AP
Its location makes it easy to combine with a stroll through Hyde Park, a visit to Oxford Street or a day exploring the West End.
How Long Do You Need at Frameless?
Most visitors spend between 90 minutes and two hours exploring the galleries.
Each room runs through a sequence of projections lasting around 20 minutes before repeating, so if you want to experience every gallery fully it’s worth allowing enough time to watch an entire cycle.
We spent approximately two hours inside and never felt rushed. Some galleries encourage you to move around and explore, while others are best enjoyed by simply sitting down and taking in the visuals and soundtrack.
One tip we would recommend is picking up one of the free folding seats available near the entrance. Seating inside the galleries is limited and having a portable seat made it much easier to comfortably enjoy the longer presentations.
Our Experience at Frameless London
1. Start Your Journey in Beyond Reality
The first gallery we visited was Beyond Reality, and it immediately set the tone for the rest of the experience.
This gallery focuses on surreal, dreamlike and imaginative artworks, bringing them to life through animation and projection. Some of the featured pieces are instantly recognisable, while others are less familiar but arguably become even more interesting in this format.
One artwork that particularly stood out was Fireside Angel. As the animation unfolded around the room, children began mimicking the movements of the angel, almost turning the artwork into an interactive performance of its own. Watching people engage with the projections in different ways became part of the experience.
We also enjoyed seeing Salvador Dalí’s The Elephants brought to life. The strange, otherworldly atmosphere of the painting translated surprisingly well into an immersive environment.
Our favourite piece in this gallery was undoubtedly Hieronymus Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights. Only the central panel is animated, but seeing Bosch’s fantastical world unfold around us created one of the most memorable moments of our visit. The moving imagery adds another dimension to a painting already packed with symbolism and detail.
2. Relax Among the Colours in Colour in Motion
After the intensity of Beyond Reality, Colour in Motion felt noticeably calmer.
This gallery focuses on colour, light and atmosphere, featuring works from artists such as Vincent van Gogh and Georges Seurat. The amazing thing about this gallery is that you can interract with the colours on the ground and “move” them around as you walk past.
Rather than dramatic storytelling, the room creates a more relaxing environment where visitors can simply sit down and absorb the changing visuals.
One moment we particularly enjoyed was seeing Van Gogh’s Starry Night Over the Rhône projected across the room. Combined with the soundtrack, it almost felt as though we were standing beside the river beneath the shimmering night sky, watching the reflections dance across the water.
This was perhaps the gallery where we spent the most time simply sitting and watching rather than walking around.
3. Step Inside Famous Landscapes in The World Around Us
The World Around Us was our favourite gallery and, judging by Frameless’ marketing material, it seems to be the flagship room for many visitors.
The gallery focuses on landscapes, seascapes and scenes from around the world, creating some of the most immersive moments in the entire exhibition.
One standout was Rembrandt’s Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee. The combination of movement, sound effects and scale transformed the painting into something that felt remarkably cinematic. As waves crashed around the room, it genuinely felt as though we were standing aboard the boat alongside the sailors.
Another highlight was Hokusai’s famous The Great Wave. Even if you don’t recognise the title, you’ve almost certainly seen the image before. Watching the wave rise around the room while accompanied by dramatic music made it one of the most powerful moments in the exhibition.
We also enjoyed seeing Canaletto’s Venice scenes appear around us. The projections transported us straight back to our own memories of walking through Venice, while smaller details hidden within the animation regularly prompted smiles from visitors around the room.
If you’re limited on time, this is the gallery we’d prioritise.
4. Explore Modern Art in The Art of Abstraction
The final gallery, The Art of Abstraction, was unfortunately our least favourite.
This isn’t necessarily because the technology was less impressive, but because abstract art can be more difficult to connect with emotionally than the figurative works featured elsewhere in the exhibition.
The room uses geometric shapes, colour and movement to explore modern artistic styles. Interactive panels in the centre help explain some of the concepts behind the artworks, which many visitors may appreciate.
However, we noticed that several people left before the projection cycle had completed, and we found ourselves spending noticeably less time here than in the other galleries.
That said, art is highly subjective, and visitors with a stronger interest in abstract or modern art may feel very differently.
Is Frameless London Worth Visiting?
In our opinion, yes.
The attraction successfully combines art, technology and storytelling in a way that feels accessible even if you don’t have a particular interest in art history.
What impressed us most was how certain artworks were transformed through movement and sound. Paintings that might only hold your attention for a few moments in a traditional gallery suddenly become immersive experiences that unfold over several minutes.
Not every gallery was equally engaging, and some rooms were stronger than others, but overall Frameless offers something genuinely different from London’s more traditional cultural attractions.
It’s particularly appealing if:
- You’re looking for indoor activities in London.
- You enjoy photography and visual experiences.
- You’re travelling with children.
- You’re interested in art but prefer something more interactive than a conventional museum.
See our experience in the short video below:
Practical Tips Before You Visit Frameless
1. Pick Up a Folding Seat
The free folding seats available near the entrance turned out to be one of the best decisions we made during our visit.
Each gallery presentation lasts around 20 minutes and there isn’t a huge amount of permanent seating. Having a lightweight seat allowed us to comfortably enjoy the longer sequences without spending extended periods standing or sitting on the floor.
2. Skip the AI Portrait Experience
Upon arrival, staff offered to take our photograph and transform it into a famous painting using AI.
While some visitors may enjoy this souvenir, we personally didn’t think it offered great value. When we visited, the service cost £8, and with so many AI image tools now available at home, it felt like something most people could easily recreate themselves.
3. Visit on a Rainy Day
Frameless is one of those attractions that feels perfectly suited to London’s unpredictable weather.
If rain interrupts your sightseeing plans, it’s an easy way to spend a couple of enjoyable hours indoors while still experiencing something distinctly different.
Is Frameless London Good for Children?
Yes, we think so.
One of the things that surprised us most was how naturally children interacted with the projections.
Unlike traditional galleries where visitors are expected to remain quiet and avoid touching anything, Frameless encourages movement and exploration. We saw children dancing, pointing at details, following animated characters and reacting enthusiastically to the changing environments.
The experience isn’t specifically designed for children, but its visual nature makes it accessible to a wide range of ages.
Frameless London vs teamLab Planets Tokyo
Having visited both, comparisons are inevitable.
teamLab Planets remains the more immersive and technologically ambitious experience. The installations are larger, more interactive and designed to blur the boundaries between different exhibition spaces.
Frameless feels more structured and gallery-focused by comparison.
However, that doesn’t make Frameless disappointing. For visitors in London, it delivers many of the same ideas without requiring a flight halfway around the world.
If you’ve never visited teamLab, Frameless will likely feel highly immersive. If you have visited teamLab, you’ll probably notice the differences, but you’ll still find plenty to enjoy.
Final Thoughts
We left Frameless pleasantly surprised.
What initially sounded like a simple digital art exhibition turned out to be a thoughtfully designed experience that successfully bridges the gap between traditional art and modern technology.
While some galleries resonated with us more than others, there were several moments that genuinely held our attention and encouraged us to see familiar artworks in a completely different way.
For visitors to London, Frameless works particularly well as a rainy-day activity, a family-friendly attraction or something a little different from the city’s many museums. It’s not trying to replace the National Gallery or Tate Modern. Instead, it offers another way of engaging with art altogether.
Long after we left, we found ourselves thinking back to the crashing waves of Hokusai’s masterpiece and the dramatic storm surrounding Rembrandt’s sailors. That’s perhaps the strongest endorsement we can give: some of these artworks stayed with us long after the projections ended.
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