Would you like to experience the art of Vincent Van Gogh in a unique, multi-sensory way?
Presented in partnership with the National Capital Authority, the international touring experience Van Gogh Alive will make its temporary home on Parkes Place lawns, in the National Triangle.
The Canberra season will open during the Enlighten Festival in March 2022. Visits will be timed and numbers limited to keep things COVID-safe.
It's in the Grand Pavilion, a bespoke marquee Australian co-producer Andrew Kay called "the world's biggest transportable exhibition building - 75 metres long, 25 metres wide and 12 metres high".
He said it was "like a Meccano set" and took 25 tricks to transport, a week to erect and a week to dismantle, and an additional four weeks to install the content.
Created by Melbourne company Grande Experiences, Van Gogh Alive takes thousands of works by the artist, including self-portraits The Starry Night and Sunflowers - and in the SENSORY4 immersive gallery projects them on a large scale onto walls and floors, accompanied by subtle scents and classical music in surround sound by composers such as Saint-Saens, Handel and Bach.
Kay said the digital images were very sharp and allowed viewers to examine the fine detail of the works.
"You can see the brush strokes," he said.
Visitors can walk in a Van Gogh flower field, explore a recreation of his bedroom and sit in a cafe inspired by yet another piece.
"It's a visual narrative of his life's work," Mr Kay said.
But there's a limit to how multi-sensory the experience gets.
"Don't touch, don't taste" - apart from the food in the cafe, of course.
The artist's sources of inspiration are also illustrated with photographs, video and excerpts from letters.
Van Gogh, whom Kay described as being a "rock and roll" star among artists, only sold one painting in his lifetime and died in poverty in 1890 at 37.
"We have people leaving the venue having had a very deep emotional experience," he said.
- Van Gogh Alive will be on the National Triangle at Parkes Place lawns from Saturday, March 5, 2022. More information: vangoghalive.com.au.
