Blogpost: Van Gogh Alive @ Royal Hall of Industries

Posted by T • September 24, 2020

Posted by T • September 24, 2020

Van Gogh Alive

Royal Hall of Industries

Sydney, Australia

September 18, 2020

Incepted by Bruce Peterson and brought to life under the helm of his entity Grande Exhibitions the name is not misleading: Van Gogh Alive is a multisensorial, interactive exhibition that set out to infuse art with a heartbeat and a pulse. After COVID-19 prevented the exhibition to take place in Melbourne as originally intended, Sydney was graced with the exhibition, which after having been shown in over fifty countries will be the biggest incarnation of Van Gogh Alive anywhere in the world.

The premise is to not only expose new audiences to art and make it more accessible and tangible, but also offer a new angle to look into the oeuvre of one of the most celebrated artists of our time.

Given timed entry slots, entering the experience with a group of people felt a tad more exciting than one might feel when embarking on a visit to the confines where Van Gogh’s art would normally be found. Easing the crowd into proceedings, the first interactive exhibit is merely a hint of what the next segment will unleash, which is where the magic and Vincent van Gogh comes alive in all its glory.

We are not merely talking about animated equivalents of Van Gogh’s painted emissions, but carefully curated and highly intricate digital footage, which is expertly serenaded by symphonies synched to accentuate the movements of the visuals. 

Following the timeline of Van Gogh’s trials and tribulations from the joys of discovering impressionist and expressionist art and his early paintings, one is guided through the places he inhabited and the significance of the emotions and experiences each held – from the gritty context of his middle-class upbringing in the Netherlands via the vibrancy of Paris to Arles, where some of his most known and celebrated paintings were created, to the well-documented deterioration of his mental health and descent into depression, eventually culminating in the fireworks that is the animated version of “Starry Night”.

Framed by writings and thoughts from the man himself, the exhibition might not reveal anything ground-breaking new, but manages to create a lasting emotional response by offering the opportunity to be immersed in his art and having all five senses tickled in the process.

I specifically liked that Van Gogh Alive is not merely an exercise in showy technological gimmickry, but the sequencing and orchestration of all the multi-faceted individual components reveals a deep appreciation and understanding of Van Gogh’s art and significance at large. 

Van Gogh Alive helps to ignite a spark, reduces the distance between the artist and the recipient in an engaging way and thereby creates a deep yet subtle connection to the urgency and intensity of his paintings.

---

photo from https://www.vangoghalive.com.au/

T • September 24, 2020

More recent blogposts

PJ Harvey @ Sydney Opera House Forecourt

Posted by T • March 14, 2025

PJ Harvey Sydney Opera House Forecourt 13 March 2025 Sydney, Australia photo courtesy of Daniel Boud and the Sydney Opera House.Caption Some artists perform. PJ Harvey transmutes. Like a figure walking between worlds, she never lingers too long in one place, never allows herself to fossilize into nostalgia. Instead, she reinvents - without ever severing the thread that binds her … Read more

The Get Up Kids/Ozma @ The Glass House 3/7/25

Posted by Aaron H • March 14, 2025

The Get Up Kids - Credit: AMH The Get Up Kids just finished the US leg of their 25th Anniversary Tour for their seminal album, Something To Write Home About with 2 nights at The Glass House in Pomona. Of course, I didn't wanna miss it. Following support from Indie-Rock band, Ozma -- who ran through tracks from their first … Read more

Chat Pile/Gouge Away @ The Glass House 2/22/25

Posted by Aaron H • March 4, 2025

Chat Pile Fans - Credit: AMH Chat Pile are about to wrap up their US West Coast and Canada tour with Gouge Away this week. I was fortunate enough to catch the sludgy rockers when they came through Pomona last week. Nightosphere - Credit: AMH Kansas City's Nightosphere has opened the shows every night. The trio's unique blend of shoegaze … Read more

Cursive/Pile @ The Glass House 2/14/25

Posted by Aaron H • February 18, 2025

Cursive - Photo Credit: AMH In a time of a lot of bullshit going on, spending Valentine's Day with my wife and Cursive at my favorite venue was a great escape. Cursive are out on the road in support of their newest album, Devourer, with support from Boston-Rock quartet, Pile. I hadn't previously heard of Pile and was surprised to … Read more

Luke Combs @ Accor Stadium

Posted by T • February 2, 2025

Luke Combs 01 February 2025 Accor Stadium Sydney, Australia On a balmy February evening in Sydney, country music fans from across NSW flocked to Accor Stadium for what promised to be a historic night. Luke Combs, the global superstar who has redefined modern country music, made history as the first country artist to headline a full stadium tour in Australia … Read more

Wardruna @ Enmore Theatre

Posted by T • January 28, 2025

Wardruna 25 January 2025 Enmore Theatre Sydney, Australia photo courtesy of Wardruna In the humid haze of a Sydney summer evening, the Enmore Theatre became a portal to another realm, a sacred space where time and place blurred. On January 25, 2025, Wardruna delivered a transcendent performance that not only captivated but transported its audience into the heart of Nordic … Read more

Best of 2024 Playlist

Posted by Loren • January 23, 2025

Sometimes I get all introspective and ask myself why I do this. Not very often, but the answer is always because I like music. It's that simple. I like to discover new stuff and I like to share it. Every year, the staff at Scene Point Blank sink a ton of time into 3 big Year End features. Part of … Read more

Lung @ Lee's Palace

Posted by Mirela Z. • December 10, 2024

Lung @ Lee's Palace Toronto, ON Canada November 19, 2024 Have you ever heard a distorted electric cello, with intense vocals and heavy drum beats? Powerhouse duo, cellist Kate Wakefield and drummer Daisy Caplan, are not to be underestimated! Seeing them for the first time perform live has left me wanting more! Read more

Better Lovers @ The Observatory 11/30/24

Posted by Aaron H • December 5, 2024

Better Lovers: Photo Credit - AMH Better Lovers are making the rounds again, this time with a new full-length LP, Highly Irresponsible, released earlier this Fall. The hardcore mash-up of ex-Dillinger Escape Plan and ex-Every Time I Die members recently brought their show to So-Cal, and I had the pleasure of seeing how things have been going since last year. … Read more

Rise Against/LSDunes/Cloud Nothings @ HOB 11/20/24

Posted by Aaron H • November 28, 2024

Rise Against Fans - Photo Credit: AMH Rise Against decided to hit the road this past fall and brought along L.S. Dunes. Depending on your city, different acts opened the show. Cleveland, Ohio's Cloud Nothings covered the crowd warm-up duties on their run through California. With a bill this stacked, I didn't want to miss it. Cloud Nothings - Photo … Read more

Advertisement

DCxPC 2025