Multi-sensory experience in the “Van Gogh universe”

The Lume, Australia’s first digital art gallery, has officially opened its doors to the public in Melbourne. The first experience The Lume offers is an adventure into the magical world of Van Gogh’s life and works: “Van Gogh Alive”.

The brainchild of Grande Experiences, an Australian-based arts organisation,Van Gogh AliveThis is not the first multi-sensory exhibition about Van Gogh. The art project has been held in more than 50 cities around the world, after launching in Paris (France) in 2019 under the name “La nuit étoilée”. After many successes in Europe, Asia, and the United States, this year the exhibition returns to Australia, along with the opening of the first The Lume center in Melbourne.

Van Gogh AliveIt was scheduled to open in September, but was postponed until early November due to the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak in Melbourne.

Surely everyone has seen at least once the image of Van Gogh's paintings: Starry Night, The Night Café, the Sunflowers series or his own self-portrait. Van Gogh's paintings are among the most familiar and famous works of art in history.

But it is also certain that, in history, no one has been able to experience Van Gogh's paintings in this special way.

Here, you do not need to keep quiet. The moment you enter the exhibition space, a powerful and resonant symphony of light, color, captivating images, and overwhelming aromas will take you out of your own world, and open up a new world, stimulating all four human senses through art: hearing, seeing, smelling, and tasting.

Listen: The music is a fusion of Longobardi and classical pieces by Handel, Barber, Bach, Mussorgsky, performed by singer Meiko Kaji and lead vocalist Thom Yorke from the band Radiohead.Symphoniesare all mixed with complete intention, the rhythm changes gracefully according to the rhythm of each painting or frame being projected, and they fit together strangely.

Look: The entire space is 3000 m2 wide², 11 m high of The Lume Center offers an impressive visual experience, with more than 3000 photos projected onto the entire wall, ceiling, columns and floor. All are covered with a soft fabric so that the images can pass through and bring the best experience to the viewer. Those more than 3000 photos are all famous paintings of Van Gogh, through 10 years of his career.

Van Gogh's Dutch Years (1880-1885): This was a dark period, almost the complete opposite of the later years of his life. During this time, Van Gogh's favorite colors were earth tones, especially dark browns. He had very little money, ate only frugally, and had many health problems.

Van Gogh's years in Paris, France (March 1886 - February 1888): Inspired by the Impressionists in Paris, his paintings took on a brighter, more vibrant color palette. During his two years in the City of Light, Van Gogh completed more than 200 paintings.

Van Gogh's days in Arles, France (February 1888 - May 1889): Although he only stayed in the South of France for a short time, this was when Van Gogh was the happiest in his life. However, during this period, he constantly had hallucinations and suffered from paranoia, eventually cutting off almost all of his left ear.

Van Gogh during his stay in Saint-Rémy (May 1889 - May 1890): This was the time when Van Gogh volunteered to enter an asylum in a former monastery in Saint-Rémy. His paintings during this period alternate between crisis and self-control.

Auvers-sur-Oise (May - July 1890): In the last two months of his life, his loneliness is clearly felt in his last paintings. He shot himself in the chest with a pistol, and then continued to complete the painting Portrait d'Adeline Ravoux (Portrait of Adeline Ravoux).

After the above five stages, the exhibition displays a series of Van Gogh's self-portraits through the ages, to reflect the changes in his psychological state.

Smell: Visitors to Van Gogh Alive can actually smell the scents. The scents of cypress, cedar, nutmeg combined with lemon and vetiver grass recreate the space of the fruit garden and the vast fields where Van Gogh held his brush and left behind priceless paintings. The scents and colors are full of flavors and smells, like the ups and downs of Vincent Van Gogh's life.

Taste: At the exhibition, there is a small, delicately arranged corner of the room, with dishes specially created for this event. Diners will not see or know what the dishes are, instead, the chef will prepare and serve you based on your senses. The dishes are named after Van Gogh's paintings, such as The Poet's garden, Sunflowers, Red Vineyards at Arles..., and are prepared to reflect the spirit of the paintings. This small restaurant also serves some light drinks such as wine and cocktails.

Currently, the exhibitionVan Gogh AliveThe Melbourne exhibition is open until 1 May 2022. Grande Experiences will then continue to host this multi-sensory exhibition in Brisbane until 24 December and in Canberra from 5 March to 27 March 2022, with prices depending on the duration of the visit. Visitors can book tickets online, and follow the latest updates on the official website of Grande Experiences.Van Gogh Alive.

An (reference: Noah Nguyen/Me Tranh)