Unlocking secrets of genius: Exhibition dedicated to Vincent van Gogh opened in Astana
EL.KZ Информационно-познавательный портал
A new multimedia space dedicated to Vincent van Gogh has opened in Astana this winter and became one of the most popular places to visit in Kazakh capital, El.kz reports.
Vincent van Gogh first started painting when he was in his late twenties. Van Gogh was completing a painting every day. One of his most famous works, The Starry Night was created while he's living at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole mental hospital.
Photo: Arman Mukhatov
Photo: Arman Mukhatov
The exhibition arrived in Astana from the Netherlands. The display focuses not only on Van Gogh’s art, but also on his life story - his loneliness and inner struggles. The Real Van Gogh immersive experience takes visitors on a journey through Van Gogh's life.
According to the museum administration, many consider the exhibition the “instagrammable” location in the city. The multimedia hall looks striking, and there is no other venue of this format. Lumiere Hall is an international project with spaces operating in Moscow, Budapest, and Amsterdam, making the Astana exhibition part of a major global museum format.
Photo: Arman Mukhatov
A hall is dedicated to The Starry Night, created in 1889. The painting was produced during the artist’s treatment period and was inspired by the view from his window. The projection of the work is accompanied by movement and sound, enhancing the drama and allowing visitors to feel the author’s inner state of mind.
Photo: Arman Mukhatov
About 600 people visit the exhibition every day, including children, teenagers, and adults who want to see art from a new perspective. The multimedia format attracts even those who rarely visit classical galleries.
“In fact, the exhibition is very inspiring. This is not my first exhibition. I visited ‘Lumiere’ in Almaty. Highly recommend everyone to visit museums and look at paintings, because there is always something to discover that is sometimes invisible at the first sight. Although the exhibition is not very large, everything is presented very detailed,” says visitor Bibigul Orzhanova.
Photo: Arman Mukhatov
Vincent van Gogh created over 2,100 works in just one decade. He often worked on several paintings at the same time. The artist could begin a painting in the morning, leave it to dry in the sun, and immediately start the next one. This method allowed him to capture light at different times of day.
An unknown businessman and preacher
Until the age of 27, Van Gogh did not consider art a profession. He worked as a salesman at the art gallery Goupil & Cie, where he had a strong understanding of the commercial side of art. Later, Van Gogh worked as a preacher at the coal mining area of Borinage in Belgium. Although he was preaching and helping the miners there, that’s also a place where he created some of his first drawings.
Photo: Arman Mukhatov
Experiments with materials
Van Gogh was a true innovator in his use of materials. When he lacked money for oil paints, he created works using gouache, watercolor, and even ink. He often mixed different techniques, which was a radical approach for his time.
Photo: Arman Mukhatov
His famous painting technique “impasto was the result of these experiments. Impasto is when paint is applied so thickly that some paintings did not dry for years.
Color as emotion
The artist developed his own theory of color long before it became common practice. In letters to his brother Theo, he described in detail how certain color combinations expressed specific emotions. Yellow symbolized hope and light for him, blue infinity and sadness, and green conveyed calm.
Photo: Arman Mukhatov
Interestingly, his palette changed after moving from Paris to the south of France. In just a few months, The artist moved from earthy tones to vibrant colors - one of the most dramatic changes in art history.
Devotion to one’s path against all odds
Van Gogh sold only one painting in his lifetime. In 1990, Portrait of Dr. Gachet was sold for $82 million. His story is an answer to the fear of “I won’t be appreciated” and “I started too late.” It shows that staying true to the inner truth of your work matters more than fleeting success.
Photo: Arman Mukhatov
Despite his mental instability, Van Gogh was an incredibly disciplined worker. His letters to his brother Theo read like reports: “today I painted three pictures, tomorrow I will start two more.” In creativity, he focused on order and structure. He did not hide his suffering, doubts, or emotional pain in his letters. This radical honesty made his art universal.
From the very first steps, visitors are enveloped in an almost magical atmosphere. Semi-darkness and soft lighting enhance the sense of presence, while projections on the walls and floor transform the space into a living canvas. The paintings literally come alive around visitors. Each hall tells a story. There are no familiar frames or glass - only light, sound, and movement that shape the overall atmosphere. The space quickly became a magnet for bloggers and visual content enthusiasts.
The exhibition in Astana will run till April. After it ends, the venue is set to introduce the works of other artists.
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