Who better to describe the Van Gogh Alive exhibition than the fabled Dutch genius himself? “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together,” is not only a look into the mind of man dragged down with life, but also the perfect description of the immersive experience you can expect from the installation at the Birmingham Hippodrome.
Initially I had booked my place to go last year, but as we all know things have not exactly gone to plan over the last 12 months. So, after a long wait and fighting the urge to look up any pictures on the internet I was finally able to step through the doors into the world of Vincent Van Gogh. I wanted to use this experience to learn as much as I can about a man and his art that prior to this I knew very little. So, let’s not label this a review, we’ll just go with an opinionated tour by someone who loves and appreciates but knows very little about art.
After scanning my ticket, I was instantly lost… A man in a high vis with the thickest Birmingham mumble pointed in a few different directions before ending up signalling to go towards the flowers. I must admit that I was sceptical as I approached the yellow glow but as I turned the corner, I was left speechless. Instantly you are plunged into what seems to be a room from Monty Don’s house. From floor to ceiling were long mirrors surrounded with Sunflowers at every angle. The impact was incredible as it acted almost like an airlock into Van Gogh’s mind. I proceeded through and feeling more open and ready to have a sensory overload.
I continued down the stairs and joined the queue of people methodically following the boards time-lining Van Gogh’s life. Unfortunately, about halfway round I realised that we were all following it backwards. As frustrating as this was, viewing it in reverse did make his life seem much less morbid. After shooting himself he comes back alive to live with his friend in a beautiful part of the world, where he spends his days painting. He then moves to a mental asylum where his condition improves and is funded to paint. From there he loves life more than anything living in Paris and London, until moving back to the Netherlands to work at the Hague. Finally, he is sent to boarding school before being born. A much more Benjamin Button kind of feel to it but much less sad than the real story. Nevertheless, backwards, or forwards I spent 20 minutes cluing up before entering the main exhibition hall.
As I walked in, I was blasted with classical music. The attendant explained to me that it’s on a loop and lasts about 40 minutes so to remember what was on the screens to know when I go in to know when I have watched the full thing. The second I walked in a heard a loud gunshot as all the screens dribbled down with blood. Once again, somehow, I had managed to begin Vincent van Gogh’s story with his untimely death. Be that as it may, the room was a spectacle. In the middle was two huge pillars with three screens either side. The ceiling and floor had projections filling the room with light, the walls plastered with screens also. Each screen showed a different piece of artwork that flowed over them all, as if I was looking through windows out into the plains of the van Gogh universe.
I strolled around before finding a spot to sit and follow the story. The thing that struck me the most was the movement, each part of the artists life and work flowed so seamlessly from one to another. The continuous text was a small board showing new quotes every 30 seconds, other than that it was the animated artwork that took you on the journey. When more jovial the music picked up and the whites of the artwork illuminate the room. In the darker times the music slowed down, and the room was plunged into almost black with the blues and yellows grabbing your attention. It was breath taking, truly breath taking. It was if you were in his head, watching his thought process surround you in the room. I became so attached to this mysterious figure; my emotions heightened each time I learnt the next tragedy in his life. As you experience the three self-portraits, he produced you can see how his life went from light to dark so poignantly. The contrast between Starry Night and his beautiful summer landscapes mad that harsh truth even more evident. I was expecting immersion, but not an array of such overwhelming emotions.
As the gunshot struck, I knew it was time to leave, with my mouth dropping to the floor I could not even muster the words to explain how it was to my Brummie accented friend by the entrance. On the way out you are presented with a photo opportunity in a reconstruction of Van Gogh’s asylum room painting. I felt it only right to partake as I feel like I had connected to this man on another level. Van Gogh Alive is not just an art exhibition, with the sunflower room, the timeline, the main hall, the asylum room reconstruction it is a journey. It is true what they say… Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.
Article by Ben Reade.