There's hardly anyone across the world who hasn't heard about the famous Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh. The creative genius painted subjects that came into his life – landscapes, structures, flowers, animals, working life, nightlife, and still life. In his extraordinarily short artistic career of 10 years, he painted portraits, not only of others but of himself as an exercise to improve his skill and techniques. From his 1882 Old Man with Top Hat to Portrait of Dr Gachet, which is now priced at $500 million, Van Gogh portrayed his feelings and involvement with the subject.
The ongoing Van Gogh 360° exhibition at World Trade Centre helps you go closer to this artistic genius while you immerse yourself in his universally known artworks. We drove down to the exhibition centre on the first week of its feature in Mumbai earlier this month. To our surprise, the place was fully booked and the shows for the many upcoming days are booked as well.
We managed our two spots and walked through the paintings. It is not only the paintings that left us mesmerised but the detailed information helped us delve into the life of the much-loved artist Van Gogh and understand his artwork more profoundly. It was the second black room that brought in the real joy of experiencing the century-old paintings come alive.
His paintings were usually gifts to his friends as a gesture of gratitude for what the subjects may have done for him. A case in point is his graphic and colourful portrait of Dr Felix Rey, who was kind to Van Gogh when he was admitted to the hospital following the psychotic incident when he cut his own ear. There's much more to his paintings than just being subjects and eye-popping colours.
For instance, one of his famous paintings, Paddy Fields, is the place where he shot himself and died. Another painting series, Asylum has portraits, ivy-covered trees, lilacs, and irises of the garden. His most iconic and hopeful artwork The Starry Night also breathed life at Saint-Remy asylum amidst the madness and loneliness.
Using cutting-edge projection technology crafted by world-renowned audio-visual designers, Van Gogh 360° room created an engaging journey into the world of the legendary post-Impressionist painter.
You are immersed in the floor-to-ceiling stunning projections animating the masters’ oeuvre and illuminating the mind of the genius. Wandering through giant projections that highlight brushstroke, detail, and colour, the multimedia exhibit takes you into a three-dimensional world that exhilarates the senses. It wasn't a conventional museum, but moving imagery which transports you to another world of introspection and reflection.
The first-of-a-kind immersive art experience is a delight for any art lover, especially when the entire world of the artist's imagination is brought to you in the form of moving imagery paired with soothing music. You can sit, walk around, and sleep amidst the artwork, the freedom of immersing yourself in the artistic experience at this exhibition lies with you.
