‘Beyond Van Gogh’ opens new perspective on artist
By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on July 15, 2023.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com Visitors to the Enmax Centre who check out Paquin Entertainment’s “Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” may enter not knowing what to expect but they will leave absolutely awestruck.City media were given a sneak peek at the production Friday morning before doors opened to the public and it is stunning.
More than 300 Van Gogh artworks will be viewed during the approximately 35-minute minute event that takes up a massive space on the arena floor. But visitors don’t have to rush through it.
To gain a full appreciation of Van Gogh and his artist, visitors will want to stay longer and fully immerse themselves in his life and work.
The cutting-edge technology used in the production, along with the soundtrack and a series of frames telling the story of the artist before entering the immersive part of the production, will not only educate audiences of all ages but enthrall them as well.
Beyond Van Gogh will run through Aug. 6. It’s open from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. About 200 people can fit in the space at one ime.
Natasha Lowenthal, producer/media rep for Paquin, said before a walk-through the production will appeal to audiences of all ages.
Lowenthal said guests will feel like they’re stepping into Van Gogh’s paintings. They will also experience Van Gogh’s connection to his brother Theo, his connection to family, the land and his deep spirituality.
“Nature therapy was really what fed his soul and fed his work. At times when he was most prolific, he was healthiest mentally and so everybody kind of knows that sensationalized myth around Van Gogh but really he was so much more than that. And so this exhibition is really bringing that humanity to it and helping us understand the relevancy of his approach to fine art in today’s world because he really was an artist of the working class at a time when portraiture, landscapes, everything was seen as something for the elitists and artists were expected to cater their subject matter to appeal to the mass market,” said Lowenthal.
Visitors will see the key elements of his work that “really created movement naturally just through his brush work and how the production brings it to life. You really do become a part of the painting and you become immersed in where Van Gogh was standing when he painted these works. You step inside his bedroom, you see all of the variety” of his works, she said.
Lowenthal talked about the work of art historian Fanny Curtat who The Herald interviewed earlier this week in helping with the production.
“She’s a wealth of knowledge about Van Gogh.”
The production has been seen by five million people and been to 56 venues since opening in Miami, Florida two-and-a-half years ago.
The size of the space at the Enmax Centre is 30,000 square feet, which she calls the perfect size.
“It provides an opportunity to have the full projection feeling with the monoliths as well.”
Visitors can expect to find a new connection “to this post-expressionist work,” she said. They will also be able to explore the relationships the artist had with his subject matter, including brother Theo who was a large supporter both financially and artistically of Van Gogh.
Van Gogh, born March 30, 1853 in Zundert, Netherlands, was the eldest of six children of a Protestant pastor. He created about 2,100 artworks during a 10-year period. He died by suicide at the age of 37 in 1890 near Paris, France.
“They can also understand a little bit more about the process of his work and really see the elements of his work that have become so familiar in its full form, up close, right down to every brush work, every bare piece of canvass. And it really enhances the movement that he achieved with brush work. And it brings everybody into the paintings. They really see it from the perspective of the artist,” added Lowenthal.
“It’s been incredibly well received. It’s universally appealing, it’s good for all ages, all walks of life. It’s an incredibly accessible way to connect with art,” she said.
Installation work started on Sunday and was finished before a Thursday night preview.
Such classics as “The Starry Night,” “Sunflowers” and “Cafe Terrace at Night” plus many self-portraits will be seen in the exhibition.
“He was very very drawn to everyday life. He was raised middle class but he really really did connect with the working class in a profound way. He connected with the land in a profound way so there are many landscapes that aren’t as familiar to the average person,” she said.
One artwork that really has an impact on Lowenthal is “Stepping Inside the Bedroom” where he created many of artworks.
“It speaks to this prolific period how inspired he was by his subjects.”
Visitors will discover who Van Gogh was as a human being in the experience.
“He really was trying to create a collective of like-minded artists who were kind of stepping outside the generic expectation of the fine art.”
She added “the letters between him and his brother Theo are so impactual and it just creates so much compassion.”
The exhibition brings the humanity back to the artist, she added.
Jennifer Norsworthy of the Enmax Centre said she didn’t think the experience would actually happen when discussions first started.
“We’re thankful for the partnerships that we have in the industry and the trust that they have in us to bring this here,” she said.
“It’s been super cool and we’re pumped.” Follow @albeebHerald on Twitter 4
-3
