A Starry Morning
The Immersive Van Gogh art show is a great way to display the master's work.
It was in May when I first noticed the advertisement for the Van Gogh Immersive experience. I did not know much about the event. Still, after visiting the Website and watching the ad, and watching images of Van Gogh's paintings sliding over walls, floors, and mirrors, I had to purchase tickets immediately. The exhibit did not disappoint.
From the time Laveen and I walked in the dark space (300,000 cubic feet) early Thursday morning, to the music of Luca Longobardi's Narcissus, to more than an hour later when we watched one of Van Gogh's suns slowly set into darkness while Edith Piaf's recording of Non, Je ne regrette rien, we were amazed of this finely crafted exhibition.
The floor beneath displayed blooming irises and wheatfields. In contrast, the immense walls displayed images of Irises, the Vase with Fifteen flowers, and the Potato Eaters, among his famous works. Van Gogh's painting from long ago moved, shimmered, and vibrated. Images from all of his paintings came in and out of sight, flowing flawlessly in all directions. The candles in the paintings flickered, the oil lamps glowed, and shadows of light danced on the peasants' faces.
The landscapes on the walls and floors take us through the journey of a creative mind. This is a great way to see art, rediscover art, or discover and appreciate art in the first place. I know I was not alone in wondering what Van Gogh would have thought about this exhibition.
I believe he would have liked it, and I would go as far as to think that if he had today's technology, he might have displayed his work in this. It is incredible that his work fits so well into today's multimedia digital platforms. This has to be a big deal as we move on. I envision other artists being highlighted and promoted this way, and a brand new appreciative audience will continue to grow.
The music was just as important as the images. Much of the sad, and beautiful tunes mirrored the tragic and fascinating life of Van Gogh. The lion’s share of the music came from Luca Longobardi's album Vincent, which is the soundtrack for this immersive experience. His music has power and beauty, and I have already placed this album on my classical music playlist.
The exhibition hall was filled with visitors, even though we were there on a Thursday morning. These exhibitions ( and others like it) are a test for us to get back to normal after a tough year. It is a test to see if we are still human. Art helps us develop empathy by honoring another human we know is not perfect. We all wore masks and kept our distance, and disinfected ourselves when needed. However, it felt great to be out and spend time watching the images, and listening to the music. This exhibition is a great way to ease into normalcy.
