We Visited the Van Gogh Alive Exhibition in Auckland

Last updated on 27 December 2024

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Van Gogh Alive has finally hit Auckland!

This incredible projection exhibition has finally come to Auckland, and it was a pure joy to be able to head along to Spark Arena to check out Van Gogh Alive.

After visiting both Wellington and Christchurch, Van Gogh Alive has finally blessed the City of Sails with its presence. And what a presence it is!

Van Gogh Alive returns to New Zealand with its large-scale, indoor experience in Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland in 2021 following its incredibly successful, outdoor ‘Digital Nights’ experience that wowed sold-out audiences on Wellington’s waterfront in 2020.

Are you ready to step into a world where Van Gogh comes alive?

Prepare to transcend time and space as you accompany Van Gogh on a journey through the Netherlands, Arles, Saint Rémy and Auvers-sur-Oise, where he created many of his timeless masterpieces.

Set to an evocative classical score, a thrilling display of over 3,000 inspirational images transforms every surface that surrounds you. At Van Gogh Alive you don’t just look at his paintings, you step inside them and feel their power. – Van Gogh Alive website

You start your experience in a gallery-esque room, with Van Gogh’s paintings as prints on displayed like you would see if you were to go to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam (I didn’t quite make it, but saw some of his famous paintings in the Rijksmuseum, including ‘Self Portrait’). There are prints of his works and an explanation about them.

“There is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.”

There’s also a spot where you can grab a photo or two, and if you’re lucky, the staff member on duty might even take them for you. Shout out to the lovely staff person how took ours!

Then you wander into the main event. The main hurrah. The main room which will take your breath away.

 

Stationed around are huge screens, both portrait and landscape, and if you catch it at the right time, you’ll walk into about a 40-minutes (give or take?) presentation, projected onto the screens. Van Gogh Alive takes you through Vincent’s life through his works, displaying the pieces on a grand scale, and interspersing with life events and incredible quotes from the artist.

Once you’ve experienced the full show, you wander back out, through the sunflower room, snap some shots, and vow to yourself you’re going to go and buy 1000 sunflowers to make your own sunflower room, before heading through the merchandise tables to the exit.

If you’ve been weighing up whether to catch the Auckland show or not, do it. Tickets are reasonably priced, and it’s about an hour’s enjoyment. The kids will love it too, as the music and lights and projections are constantly moving, and always showing new things.

Have you been? What did you think?