I finally got a chance to visit the Van Gogh Alive Exhibition at the Birmingham Hippodrome; the first exhibition i have been to since the start of the pandemic.
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I've always been interested in immersive exhibits and this appealed to me; with colour, moving image and sound being used to portray moods and changing events.
The exhibition itself it on the stage, extending all the way to the back, and stalls which have been boarded to increase the size of the space. Large fabric screens show changing projections at a variety of angles and tell the story of the latter stages of Van Gogh's life; arguably when he produced his best work.
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Each segment isn't long; a key painting or scene remains on the projection for roughly 1 - 1.5 minutes before evolving into something else. Projections on the floor add to the visuals and also change with the scenery around them. The full cycle lasts for about 40 minutes, but would recommend staying for 2 cycles to appreciate everything fully. I would also recommend heading towards the back of the stage as this is where the acoustics are at their most powerful. The tone of the music 'saddened' as we moved towards the end of Van Gogh's life, and there is a loud bang right at the end so be prepared for that!
I felt the music was paired very well with the imagery, and suited it well. Some pieces i had heard of, but others were new to me and lovely to listen to. My personal favourite was the sunflowers segment; the music and development of imagery was lovely.
Now to the inevitable question (which i have been asked a lot), what was it like seeing an exhibition in a pandemic?
If i'm honest, it felt very safe. Tickets were strictly timed; if you were early or late, you weren't allowed in. Everyone wore a mask, and if a steward saw that someone wasn't, they were politely asked to wear one (unless exempt with a sunflower lanyard). You do have to check in with the Covid-19 app, and it can be difficult on occasion to properly social distance in the space; however, it didnt feel over-crowded and there were plenty of spaces to move into if you felt there wasn't enough distance between people. A lot of people sat on the floor, including myself, and it didnt feel enclosed or 'hemmed in' which is nice...a rare thing for an art exhibition!
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I suppose my only downside is the price...£22.50 for an adult felt a bit much for it. That being said, the theatre has been closed for a number of months and needs to gain funds some how, so i can't criticise it too much. Perhaps if it was slightly longer? That may have helped to mitigate the price a bit more. There are a few things to do upstairs with children (drawing alongside timelapses, etc) and there is a sunflower mirror room and installation of the Chair painting, which is more for instagram than anything else, but overall, i did genuinely enjoy it! The music was wonderful to listen to, and ive never taken so many photos and videos in my life at an exhibition, which watching them back, don't do it justice...it needs to be experienced first hand so do go and visit, not only to see it but to also support the theatre's emergence into the post-pandemic world.
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If you want more information, head over to the Hippodrome's Website to book your tickets. The exhibition is on till July 11th.
If you're not in Birmingham, don't worry, the exhibit is also available to see in Kensington Gardens in London where a purpose built structure has been set up and you can see all the wonderful projections first hand. More information is available on the Royal Parks website.
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