By Steph Llarena
The ongoing—and hopefully ending—word war on social media between a calligraphist and hundreds of Filipino netizens about the upcoming Van Gogh Alive exhibit is quite ironic, really, considering that the Dutch impressionist never experienced fame and success when he was alive.
Van Gogh was considered the quintessential tortured artist, a failure, a madman; he lived a tragic life peppered with psychotic episodes, with no raving fans cheering behind him. He only sold one painting in his lifetime: “The Red Vineyard near Arles.” It was only after he took his life, in July 1890, that he attained critical and commercial success.
Today, Van Gogh’s works are among the world’s most expensive paintings sold; even the revolver he used to kill himself was sold for €162,500 (or P9.2 million).
His life and his work have been memorialized in literature (“Letters to Theo”), music (Don McLean’s “Vincent”), and film and television (“Lust for Life,” “Vincent & Theo,” “Loving Vincent”).
His painting “The Starry Night,” currently in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, is one of the most recognized paintings in the history of Western culture, not to mention one of the most reproduced, from canvas to mobile phone case.
So the perceived “gatekeeping” and “elitism” of the young calligraphist, who took to Twitter to express her worry that the painter has become “super mainstream” and the audience of the multi-sensory exhibit won’t be able to appreciate his works on digital screens, is quite pointless, because Van Gogh is popular, and dare I say, “super mainstream.”
The Bonifacio Art Foundation and One Bonifacio High Street, together with Globe bring Van Gogh Alive, created by Grande Exhibitions, to the Philippines on Oct. 26.
The multi-sensory exhibition on the fourth level of One Bonifacio High Street will run until Dec. 8. The immersive art exhibition features Van Gogh’s works set to an evocative classical score and colorful lights. Over 3,000 inspirational images will transform every surface—walls, columns, ceilings, and even floors—of the venue.
Visitors have the chance to examine the artist’s sources of inspiration via photographs and video displayed alongside his works.
Globe Platinum and Postpaid subscribers get dedicated fast last for onsite ticket purchasing, Platinum subscribers get a 5 percent discount. Go to www.vangoghalive.ph for more information.