The multi-sensory Van Gogh Alive art exhibition arrived in Sydney in September 2020 to sell-out slots and rave reviews. Running until December 20, 2020, the exhibition drew crowds of art appreciators from all over and provided a COVID-safe experience the city desperately needed following a year spent at home.
While the Van Gogh Alive experience has now departed to open in New Zealand and then Germany, the infrastructure for the show remains at the Royal Hall of Industries in Moore Park. Instead of disassembling the whole kit and caboodle, it’s now been announced that another immersive art experience will open in its place.
Monet & Friends – Life, Light & Colour is coming to Sydney in March 2021. The exhibition is designed to transport the viewer to 19th century Paris, “where a bohemian hub of creativity and innovation was set to change the face of European art forever”.
Brought to us by the same bunch of creatives behind Van Gogh Alive, the installation uses the same large-scale screens and sensory music, sound and scent tools to immerse those who visit in the artworks. On such a large scale, every brushstroke can be seen in a way never viewed before in traditional galleries and museums.
Not just a treat for the eyes, the experience is backdropped by the musical accompaniment from Debussy, Tchaikovsky, Ravel and Offenbach, while scents are released periodically to pair with the art displayed at that time.
“Breathtaking paintings are projected on an enormous scale with vivid detail to bring back, larger than life, the bold brushstrokes of Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, Cézanne and more. Indulge your senses as you enjoy the sights of 19th Century Paris through the eyes of the painters who immortalized them,” the official site reads.
According to Lonely Planet, the world of Impressionism is displayed in three parts: Metropolitan, A Day in the Life and En Plein Air. Expect to see iconic works from the era, including Monet’s Water Lilies and Degas’ ballerinas.
The exhibition previously toured through Rome, Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and once its Sydney stay runs out, it will continue moving around the world, starting with Taipei and Norway.
Monet & Friends – Life, Light & Colour will open at the Royal Hall of Industries, Moore Park, from March 12, 2020. Tickets go on sale today for the COVID-safe experience, and you can get yours from $35 now.