writingaboutpaintings

There has been a lot of hype about this exhibition that has been happening across big cities around the world. Featuring to me at least, the original tormented artist, it pays homage to his postmodern techniques that is enriched with the technological marvels of our day.This means that instead of beholding a canvas the traditional way, you are able to physically enter the space of Van Gogh’S Irises or Starry Night with an experience of a lifetime of how the rapid brushstrokes engulf and surround you in all it’s starlit glory.

This was actually not the first multi-sensorial exhibition I have ever been to. The Caravaggio Experience of Palazzo delle Esposizioni(Rome) in 2016 was my precursor to this event. The Roman version was interesting, more humble in scale but similarly utilised the technology of video installation to deconstruct the Baroque masterpieces. Of course , the multi-sensorial affair would not be quite complete without the accompaniment of music and scent supplied by the Officina Profumo – Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella. I do not remember much about it to be honest, but it has been said that the sense of smell is the most evocative of all. And aptly, all I really do recall is the lingering fragrance that permeated the museum . It was smoky, intense and woody, not unlike what you would associate with the dark persona of Caravaggio the legendary rogue artist.

Alighting from the school bus with my students for this Van Gogh experience, I realised that this was going to greatly contrast to the darkness of the forerunner. I made that conclusion when I spotted sunglass-adorning bunnies imprinted with the iconic Starry Night and Sunflowers. The visual mix of both famed paintings formed a symphonic burst of eye-catching complementary colours. The textures and elements found on said bunnies were also echoed on the facade on the entrance, creating a grand prelude to the journey awaiting us inside.

Upon entry, we enter a long hallway full of self portraits. When lined up together in an array like that, it puts into focus how each self portrait is a novel reinterpretation and not one piece is alike. Signalling the end of the pageantry of portraits, a brightly lit space imprinted with the same mishmash of Starry Night and Sunflowers found on the facade , are echoed here , creating a perfectly Instagram worthy backdrop. If you survive this area ( I barely did, it was irresistible to take selfies again and again) ,a bust of Van Gogh awaits you on the other end. This Roman type bust is illuminated with moving graphics of every changing brushstrokes and splashed of colour accompanied by inspiring soundtrack playing in the background. This combination works wonderfully , giving the archetypal Roman-type bust of Van Gogh a new trendy vibe unlike no other.

This bust really serves as an introduction to what I feel is a biographical homage to the painter. Van Gogh’s life is described in chronological order, accompanied by other facts about his short but colourful life such as his bromance with Gauguin, his siblings, as well as his obsession with sunflowers. Across the room, a mammoth image of a painting is displayed. One is drawn to it just by its sheer scale. Over the image the following quote ‘What would life be if we had no courage to do anything’ poignantly splayed across the work. Tree Roots, according to Scientific Director of the Van Gogh Institute, feels Tree Roots is a goodbye letter of sorts painted on canvas-‘life goes on , it goes on without me . I stop here. This painting is really his farewell letter.’ Interestingly, for a long time, Wheatfield with Crows was considered to be his final work, also noted for it’s dark overtures as a visual prequel of what was to come; Van Gogh’s suicide.

Moving on to a positive note, the exhibition continues onto another space where his other iconic works were displayed in almost installation-like recreations of his other paintings such as Bedroom at Arles. These installation seem almost like a set on a play , where you are free to play out your role on a Van Gogh production. A big installation of the vestibule (the entrance hall of the asylum in saint Remi de Provence) is also another gem in this section as it serves not only as an artwork, but a symbol of arguably the most iconic events of the Dutch painter’s life. After Van Gogh had infamously cut off his ear with a razorblade,hespent some time in the hospital in Arles, he had himself admitted here right in the asylum where the vestibule is found. When he felt up to it, he would go outside to draw or paint.In fact, his magnum opus Starry Night was born right here in this period.

Exiting these set-like installations, a small area projecting dynamic video installations is found. One cluelessly enjoys this small area, oblivious to the massive installation space waiting inside. I guess the smaller space outside served as the opening act for the real deal, not unlike an opening act at the concert of a legendary rock band. Inside, the space stretches to infinity. There is an amazing projection covering the place from ceiling to floor. Beach chairs and bean bags are provided for the visitor to soak in the downpour of Van Gogh’s relentless brushstrokes that swirl in every direction. If you prefer to observe from a height, you could climb the steps to an observatory area. This is the place to be, as the videography in combination with the music is just splendid. It was really the icing on the cake at the event, as one gets lost in the spectacle and time stands still.

Unfortunately, the fact that the school bus was arriving to pick us up broke me out of the hypnotic hold the gigantic segment had on me. I did not expect anything else other than the gift shop upon exiting, but soon realised that there was still an array of other things to see. A very pretty Sunflower Room awaited me as I walked on. I found myself in a room literally exploding with an impossible amount of the yellow florals. There was also a Castlery Theatre that featured a presentation named Great Art Explained in Ten Minutes, something right up my alley although I had to give it a pass due to time constraint. There was also a creative area where colouring pages featuring the artist as well as art materials were provided. Next to the colouring area , there was a futuristic VR area that I sadly did not get to experience either.

I hurried to the the gift store, which served as a nice finale with all sorts of merchandise related to the artist stocked on the shelves. A few good books related to Van Gogh or even Art History in general were found on display. Across the array of products, there is also a cafe selling pastries and coffee. Certainly, if one needed some coffee because of the hypnotic dreamlike quality of the exhibition, one could certainly approach the staff clad in their classic Starry Night blue T-shirts for a cup of Joe to sober up. After all, Van Gogh did say, ‘I dream of painting and then I paint my dreams.’It would be perfectly reasonabe to walk out of the immersive experience with Van Gogh feeling like you are not being able to tell the difference between dream or reality. After all, we have not only entered the world of Van Gogh . We just lived inside the dreams of the artist, fully immersed. We walk out of it, continuing to paint our reality with pieces of his dream.