Van Gogh Alive

By Vedika Luthra Van Gogh was one of the world’s most illustrious post-impressionist artists. While he is long gone, his landscapes, portraits and sunflower paintings continue to inspire, impress and amaze more than a hundred years on. After travelling to Beijing, Chile and Istanbul, among other various locations, The Van Gogh Alive exhibition has finally made its much-anticipated debut in Warsaw. At an ordinary museum you observe, but at Van Gogh Alive, you experience. The installation is located in a dark tent, close to the National Stadium. The entire sequence takes roughly forty-five minutes. During this time, projections of Van Gogh’s most celebrated pieces sprawl across the floor, ceiling and walls. The room is illuminated only by the artist’s use of vivid, bold colors. The aim of the exhibition is to present Van Gogh’s turbulent life through his paintings, from 1880 to 1890, in a modern context. A visual experience like no other, the projections move to and fro, animatedly, as to simulate the rhythmic breathing of Van Gogh’s landscapes. His bold, blue brush strokes flow from one screen to another, mimicking the flow of water. If you stare long enough at the art, it is as if you are being transported into “A Meadow in the Mountains” or “Starry Night”. Obviously, Van Gogh’s art is remarkable. But what gave me goose-bumps was the addition of music to create a multisensory exhibition. The orchestral arrangements were perfectly synchronized with the art, with the mood, with the progression of Van Gogh’s life - a combination that was simply overwhelming. I cannot recall a time when museum-goers were more touched by what they were seeing, even the toddlers seemed enthralled. Not just by the art, but also by the flow of images, by the thematic sequences, by Van Gogh’s quotations that accompanied each idea. Through the exhibition, it was possible to feel his struggle, but also his love for nature, for art, for people, for life as a whole. In a time when technological distraction, overconsumption and disconnectedness are the norm, Van Gogh Alive provides a refreshing alternative. Every individual in the room was linked together by a mutual appreciation for the art, and the man behind the art. It’s really no surprise that Van Gogh Alive has been exhibited in such a broad range of places- if there was only one art museum you that could ever visit, visit this one. Tickets can be purchased online or at the venue. For more information, visit vangoghalive.pl.