The Van Gogh Exhibition in Vancouver

A Must-See For Art Lovers and Photographers

As a wish for her birthday, our friend Dagny suggested that we should catch the Van Gogh exhibition at the Vancouver Conference Centre. It was a fabulous idea and we opted in right away.

During a whirlwind 36 hours visit from Dagny and Philippe, visiting from Vernon this past weekend, we executed the plan with a Sunday afternoon visit to the exhibit.

On the eight-meter-high walls, more than 200 of Van Gogh’s pieces can be admired as they are displayed on the walls using the warping technique where images are adapted to the surfaces.

Think of it as a giant slide show with projectors showing either the total image or a zoomed-in version. In many cases, paintings are shown all around you in a very immersive fashion and for some of the “scenes”, images are scrolling from top to bottom and it feels as if the entire floor is moving.

Photography at Imagine Van Gogh

We had been out for a walk in Vancouver prior to the exhibition and, of course, I had the camera with me. But surely I thought photography wouldn’t be allowed and actually hid my camera as we entered. It was never my intent to photograph the exhibit.

Once we were in, however, I found it quite interesting to see how people moved around in groups and how they lined up with the eight-meter high images on the walls. A study in scale for sure, and photography, by the way, is allowed as long as you don’t use flash.

Is the Imagine Van Gogh Exhibition Worthwhile?

As a photographer, I found the experience immensely rewarding and as a music lover the combination of the artwork and classical pieces from Saint-Saëns, Mozart, Bach, Delibes, and Satie was very moving. On Spotify, you can listen to some of the music selected. Look up “Imagine Van Gogh”.

It was an explosion of color combined with an endless study of compositions and careful paint strokes. Amazing, and very captivating.

The consensus in our group was unanimous. We absolutely highly recommend it. We were all moved by the immersive experience, from the beautiful landscapes to haunting portraits, and historical storyboards describing Van Gogh’s life.

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