Van Gogh Alive exhibit - an unforgettable experience
In recent years, I’ve come to appreciate art more, though I’m still specific about the painting and art styles I like. When visiting the Louvre Museum in Paris, I’ve come to fall in love with Van Gogh and his paintings, and thanks to social media, I found out about an exhibition I didn’t know I wanted to see. But as soon as I read about it, I knew we couldn’t miss it.
Van Gogh Alive is not your typical museum exhibition by any means, and for that reason, I fully recommend seeing it, if you can.
It’s an immersive, multi-sensory art installation, aka, the paintings are projected on massive walls, screens, etc., as they come alive, and move, hence the name. This is accompanied by classical music that goes perfectly with the images and the overall mood. Throughout are sprinkled statements and inspiring quotes by Van Gogh, as well as short descriptions/details of his life and time when he created certain collections. I have to admit that the whole experience gave me goose bumps, and impressed me deeply. I found this exhibit fascinating and it made me appreciate Van Gogh more as an artist, especially as some of his quotes were simply heartbreaking.
This show goes in loops of about 40 minutes and will be on display until April 11, 2021 (update: this has now been extended through June 13th). Note: If you are affected by loud, abrupt sounds and moving images, make sure to check with a Visitor Experience Specialist before entering.
At least the day we visited, we were able to watch the exhibit several times. I was in awe of “Starry Night”, and the way it was presented, so we had to watch it three times!
Only a few cities in the entire world have had the chance to host this experience, and Saint Petersburg’s Dali Museum here in Florida has been, to my knowledge, the only one in the US so far. Where else this is currently displayed and where it goes next find out here.
You can also tour the rest of the museum and see Dali’s paintings after the show. However, the museum is fairly small and while we were there, it got pretty crowded at one point, which made us rush through and leave shortly after - we are still trying to avoid being close to people.
As far as COVID precautions, well, that’s the only complaint I have... Yes, there are protocols for safety in place as far as social distancing, however, they are not enforced, and subsequently, not respected. Face masks are required, however, the rooms where this exhibit takes place are pretty small, and inadvertently, crowds form.
We tried our best to stay away from people as much as we could, but others were not as “respectful” of social distance, just something to be aware of.
Also, the museum does not open until 10am, so you will have people lined up outside, as it’s first-come, first-served, as long as you get there at your allotted time slot. We went at opening time on a Thursday, when the museum is open until 9pm (check the museum hours here), and it got busy quickly.
I can’t recommend Van Gogh Alive more, as it’s truly something unique. Now, as far as safety, you should decide based on your comfort level… maybe try checking with the museum staff about their least busy days. Of course, wear your face masks, (I’d even suggest face shields + face mask, or double your face masks), and like us, try to maintain a safe distance between you and the rest of the people as much as possible.
I do have to say that the museum takes your temperature upon entry, but that’s a false sense of security, as a fever or lack of, is not indicative of someone carrying the virus. As my goal is to always be transparent, I had to share that with you.
Take care and be safe.
xoxo,
Em
