Van Gogh Alive (1)

I'd seen the 'Van Gogh Alive' exhibition in Bradford advertised for a while and was unsure whether to go, as it was quite expensive. At almost the last possible moment, and in view of the cold weather making outdoor pursuits less attractive and the fact that tickets were being discounted, I took the plunge. I'm glad I did as it was quite an extraordinary experience.  

The exhibition was staged in what is now the Regency Hall. It was built as St Mary's Roman Catholic Church, in 1876, and used to have congregations for Sunday Mass of around 1200 people. It was eventually closed around 2006 due to declining attendance, I guess not helped by the fact that the six-lane Shipley-Airedale trunk road was built right outside its front door. It lay unused for several years and in 2017 was bought and refurbished as an events and banqueting facility, often used for big Asian weddings. 

Most people are, I think, familiar with the Dutch-born Vincent Van Gogh's story. He had a somewhat restless early life, working for an art dealer and then training as a missionary, before discovering in 1880 his true passion for art. He became what we now recognise as one of the greatest Post-Impressionist artists. Although he produced over 2000 paintings between 1880 and 1890, living in Paris and then Arles in France, he only sold one painting during his lifetime. Increasingly tortured and volatile, he entered an asylum but continued to experience bouts of mental disturbance, until eventually he shot himself and died, aged just 37. 

It was only after his death, in the early 20th century, that the significance and legacy of his work (chiefly his output of the final three years of his life) began to be recognised, and (to some extent romanticised by his life story as an isolated and tortured soul) he has become one of the most recognised artists in the world, with a few key pieces: Sunflowers, Irises, Starry Night - being especially widely known. 

The 'Van Gogh Alive' exhibition was a multi-media 'immersive' experience, with a chronological sequencing of paintings and photos - some still, some animated - from different periods of his life, projected onto huge screens all around the hall. They were constantly changing, accompanied by quotes of his thoughts, with a soundtrack of classical music and even with scents pumped into the room evocative of the herbs and flowers of Southern France.  It was impressive and quite moving at times. Part of the delight also was watching children interacting with large mats on the floor, onto which images were projected. They danced and jumped and one tiny crawling tot was visibly delighted at the colours and shapes swirling all around her. Very cute to watch. 

On the way out there was a room full of mirrors and sunflowers, so that you felt as though you were in an endless field of yellow joy. And of course, a shop where you could buy anything from prints of Van Gogh's pictures to jigsaws, fridge magnets, scarves and even face masks printed with sunflowers, starry skies or irises, and not forgetting the rubber ducks!  

All quite a memorable experience! I'll show some photos from the exhibition itself tomorrow.