Long-awaited Beyond Van Gogh immersive art show set to open

Running May 8 to June 12, ‘Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience’ will allow guests to ‘step directly into the artwork’ of the famous 19th century Dutch painter

CITYnews halifax \ Steve Gow

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A cutting-edge art exhibit will be taking over the Halifax Exhibition Centre in May and June.

After months of anticipation, the hugely popular Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience will transform the Prospect Road event space into an interactive, illuminated gallery showcasing the artwork of Vincent Van Gogh.

“It’s been having a good run,” says Fanny Curtat, who worked as a consultant on the creation of Beyond Van Gogh. The art historian says even though the exhibit was created during the pandemic, it has become a massive success in cities all over North America.

“In October 2020, we started its creation,” adds Curtat. “When you’re working on something that is on such a large scale, but you are working day-to-day on a 13 inch computer screen, and then it ends up being this enormous project travelling around with people in it — it’s been incredible!”

Opening May 8, Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience will breathe life into 300 of the Dutch painter’s works through the use of innovative high-resolution projection technology and original music.

Created by Montreal-based creative director Mathieu St-Arnaud and his team at Normal Studio, Van Gogh’s paintings will be projected on every surface of its host gallery with the aim of creating the sensation of stepping directly into the artwork.

“This whole project was really about creating a particular dialogue between Vincent’s work and these very contemporary, cutting-edge tools and what this dialogue could do in terms of narrative, in terms of educational purposes, in terms of bringing a cultural experience in these times of pandemic,” says Curtat.

She adds the 30,000 square foot show allows guests plenty of room to view the exhibit and maintain safe distances from other guests.

Having had successful runs everywhere from Miami to Calgary since its creation, the Beyond Van Gogh exhibit is also tailor-made for the pandemic in another way.

“In more ways than one, he’s the artist we need right now,” says Curtat, adding Van Gogh’s artwork was resonating with people during the darkest days of COVID-19. “When you look at the work, you don’t see this darkness — only the light, only the joy, only the beauty — and that speaks to people.”

Curtat notes not all high art critics are embracing this new use of technology to explore classical works of art. However, she recognizes the value such an exhibition can bring for attracting new admirers to the art world.

“I’ll always enjoy the original paintings. If I get the chance to be in the presence of an original painting, of course it will always be great for me,” says Curtat, a PhD candidate at the Université du Québec à Montréal. “But there is something of a fantasy to go beyond the frame and inside the painting themselves, and when you change scale, it changes everything.”

Beyond Van Gogh also offers a chance to go “beyond the frame” in other ways as well.  In Halifax, visitors will be able to buy tickets to join local yoga instructors for a guided Beyond Van Gogh Yoga experience three days a week — a unique opportunity that might appeal to would-be yogis but not necessarily to the hardcore art critic.

“On average, people stay 10 to 13 seconds in front of any artwork in a museum so having an opportunity to just be with the art and breathe with the art — I’m not actually against that idea,” says Curtat. “I think there is something to say about the positivity and the alternative experience of the art world. If anything, I think we need more ways of experiencing art — not less.”

Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience runs from May 8 to June 12 at Halifax Exhibition Centre.

For tickets or more information on Beyond Van Gogh, visit the website.