My mother, my friend Laura and I headed to Charlotte to attend Immersive Van Gogh on 9/18/2021. We very much enjoyed the one hour exhibit hosted in an old Ford factory. Designed and conceived by Massimiliano Siccardi, with soundtrack by Luca Longobardi the show offers a delightful mix of sight and sound based on Van Gogh’s massive body of work.
Vincent Willem Van Gogh was an intriguing and prolific artist despite suffering mental illness. Born in 1853 in The Netherland, he spent the first part of his life trying to conform to his family’s wishes until he moved away to Paris at age 32. In Paris, he was influenced by impressionist French artists most notably Paul Gauguin. He moved to Arles in Provence where he was later joined by Gauguin. A few weeks later, Van Gogh’s mental illness led him to check himself into an asylum which is where he created Starry Night. Within a year he moved back to Paris and shot himself to death in July 1890 leaving behind over 2,000 pieces. A decade later Van Gogh would become internationally known.
We watched Van Gogh’s famous paintings grow gradually or in bursts on large screens around us to the rhythmic sounds of captivating music. Each burst of bright colors bringing us closer to Van Gogh’s artistic inspiration “I dream my painting and, I paint my dreams.”, leaving us in awe of a talent that transcended or perhaps grew from mental illness. Immersive Van Gogh is definitely not a traditional painting exhibit, it is an amazing multimedia show the likes of which Massimiliano Siccardi had been perfecting for over 30 years. If you have a chance, I highly recommend attending.
References Immersive Van Gogh, Background, Creators
Blogs near Rock Hill/ Charlotte area
- Crowders Mountain State Park
- McDowell Nature Center
- Glencairn Garden, June 2020
- Glencairn Garde, April 2021
- Kings Mountain State Park
- Kings Mountain National Military Park
- Ann Springs Greenway 2022
- Carolina Thread
- Founders Trail
- Draper WMA 2022
- Draper WMA 2020
- Historic Brattonsville
- Immersive Van Gogh, NC
- Crooked Cedar Farm, Blythewood, SC
- Ridgeway Family Farm, Blythewood, SC
I’ve heard about this show from others who went there and they said it was very impressive. You have to wonder what his artistry be so vibrant in a more stable mind? Maybe it’s because of his issues he was able to project these amazing pictures
Question for you, you set a one hour presentation. Do they hold you to only being there for an hour?
I think his illness greatly contributed to his talent. He saw things differently.
You can stay as long as you want and re watch. Not sure if at one point they would empty the exhibit hall but they seem to continuously repeat the film