Hello and Happy New Year! I thought I’d end the year with some pretty photos I took yesterday at the Imagine Van Gogh show at the SoWa power station in Boston’s South End. The show includes images of his work projected onto the walls of the space (30 ft. tall screens) in the round, including the floor. I don’t know how the technology works, but you never feel like you’re being blinded by a slide projector. Attendees are able to wander or sit as they are so moved. There were a few chairs for those who needed them. Works done by Van Gogh around 1888-1890 during his time in Provence are the main focus, with music including of the period composers like Satie and Saint-Saëns – French music of this period is some of my favorite so I was in heaven!
Below and above show the same space just seconds apart. Above is Van Gogh’s Almond Blossom, 1890 – which is a popular wallpaper inspiration.
Below is Bridge in the Rain (after Hiroshige), 1887.
Do you ever feel like you’re being watched?
Sunday in the park with Vincent… (reference and reference)
It’s amazing how the mood could change so quickly – which does speak to the mind of Van Gogh.
We thought the floor pattern would make an excellent rug!
While the images sometimes glided across the screens the floor projections did not move (which would have been terribly disorientating.)
I took a panoramic shot which isn’t great but does show the scale a little bit.
Van Gogh’s most well-known work, Starry Night, made a brief appearance. You could hear an audible reaction from the crowd when it appeared but also a similar reaction when it faded a little too quickly. People like to see what they know and the world knows Starry Night! I do have to say, my personal preference is for this Starry Night (La Nuit étoilée) which is at the Musée D’Orsay. I don’t recall seeing it at the show yesterday, but when I saw it in Paris a number of years ago, I literally burst into tears standing in front of it. It was a little embarrassing, but then, the whole point of art is to bring on an emotional reaction. And so it did.
You can see a short video I took here.
And finally, wishing you a very Happy New Year and here’s to a brighter, healthier 2022 for us all! I so appreciate my clients, readers and those who take the time to comment on my blog!
Hello Linda, Thanks to your description I now understand what this show exactly is. How would you compare it to simply seeing an exhibition of his actual paintings? I have a feeling that I would have found the projected images a little vertiginous, but that is the way I am–for instance, my brain cannot process large herringbone patterns. I do like the innovated idea of the way people looked at the images and traveled (or sat) around the exhibit; too often, people are just herded through museums like cattle.
.
Wishing you a happy new year and a great 2022!
–Jim
Hi Jim – I don’t think anything replaces seeing the real thing in person, of course. But how often will we get to see so many Van Gogh’s in one place? And it’s always interesting to look at something in a totally different way. I can see how the large screens with slowly moving images might make someone a little dizzy, but they used that sparingly – two adjacent walls didn’t move at the same time and the floor never moved. Happy New Year to you too!
Loved seeing Van Gogh’s art on such a large scale! So glad you shared with all of your followers as probably most of us will never get to see it in person. Thank you!
Happy New Year Fern!
Hi Linda…Happy New Year. What a beautiful post. What did being immersed in all that color make you feel?
And I love that seeing Starry Night in person made you burst into tears. Genuine beauty has that impact.
Here’s wishing you a New Year filled with more beautiful experiences and wonderful clients. Thanks for bringing so much inspiration to my life through your blog.
I appreciate the time it takes. Happy New Year!
Thank you Leslie! Happy New Year to you as well!
What a fun peek at this exhibit, Linda! I was intensely curious to hear about it firsthand from someone, so thank you for sharing all this. I love that it paired music with the images – I think that is a brilliant way to share visual art! Happy New Year to you!!
Hi Janet – I agree about the music – the selections really made it, err, “sing” – lol
So much fun combing through all of your photos, I feel like I was almost there with you! Thanks for sharing this incredible exhibit with us!
Happy New Year Amy!
What an impressive exhibit and unique experience! Thank you so much for sharing. Hope your New Year is off to a great start!