“One adult ticket, please.” I say, while handing over the payment.
“Here you go, one ticket. The show will start in ten minutes. Entrance is on your left. Enjoy the show.” She hands me the ticket.
“Thank you.” With the ticket in my hand, I walk towards the entrance.
Tonight, I am heading to this exhibition recommended by my colleagues, i.e. The Lume – Van Gogh.
Actually, many people might be more familiar to the song that was tagged to one of his paintings named ‘Starry Night Over The Rhone’. Yes, that song is called ‘Vincent (Starry, Starry Night)’ by Don McLean. This song was created after the author saw that painting of Van Gogh and felt so moved by it.
I don’t know about others, but I take a lot of photos inside the exhibition; just like a curious cat. At the spacious room or should I call it a spacious displaying square, I find myself a spot and sit on the floor, waiting for the digital show to start. Other audiences, some prefers to stand and watch, while some sits on the cubical boxes that serve as seats.
This art exhibition displays all the breath-taking paintings of Van Gogh. One after another, beautiful music plays at background. Some paintings were added with some animation and his sensible quotes were displayed at the centre of the displaying square. With the combination of the digital technology, audiences are brought into the life of Van Gogh. Which country he landed, where he started to work as artist, how he missed his family that are staying far away from where he was. As if we witness the rough life experiences he had went through and what inspired him to create those beautiful painting. His love to his family, his struggles through work, his view on locals’ daily life and scenes and so on…
I stop for a while on photo-taking act; and start to indulge myself into that beautiful starry night painting. Such magnificent colour he used to bring out the magical sky that was full of stars. For such a talented person to become famous only after his death… What a sarcastic community we have in this world.
Society, be it in the past or even now, is quite strange. When one is still alive, his or her works have no value; but after the said artist (singer, actor, author and so on) had passed away, then only their arts start to be appreciated by the society. “So irony…” (Sigh).
Sadly to know that Van Gogh couldn’t withdraw himself from the depression he had through work, friend, family… Violence, mental illness and self-destruction led him to end his life, and lastly died in his brother’s arm.
(Huff…) Before this exhibition, I didn’t learn much about this artist. The information sent through from this exhibition to the audience, is quite ‘heavy’ for me. To learn that this famous artist had actually went through such challenging life path; those highs and lows that most human would encounter in one’s life. I don’t quite sure if most human had it or not, but I definitely had mine. I called it ‘the challenging tests sent by Gods onto me’. I have no choice, but to go through each of the ‘tests’. Falling hard, crying out loud, in the end still have to stand up with my own feet again. Life goes on. I can’t stay miserable forever. I won’t allow myself to be so.
At the gift shop right next to the displaying square, I look around the items that came with the theme of this exhibition. I pick up a rose stone that was cut into a heart shape. Two rose stones catch my attention, actually. I slowly run my thumb over the surface of the stone. (Hmm…) one has well-polished smooth surface and one still have a small cut on it.
A voice speaks in my mind – “Whose heart doesn’t have at a cut or two?” Yeah, at least a cut or two, deep cuts. Alright, this rose stone with a scar on it, you’re coming home with me.
Wounded heart, some takes few years to recover; some can never heal the wound their whole lifetime. Simply because they just can’t find the way to heal it or they rather choose to run away from it, don’t talk about it ever again than put in the effort to heal it.
Thank Gods for guiding me and sending me messages during those though times. Those are invisible hands to help me put myself together, try to heal, calm my emotions, and slowly walk out from those disappointing encounters. My highest gratitude to you, GODS!
There are some takeaways I get from this exhibition; I would like to amplify to all –
“Let us continue to do good deeds, be creative. Who knows someday, others might find our work, our art or even our words to be priceless!”
“Do stay positive as much as possible! Once you have it (depression), you can’t get out from it easily. Mental illness isn’t something that can be cured easily or right away by antibiotics (medicines).”
If you want to have a read on the details about this exhibition – ‘The Lume – Van Gogh’, a link is provided below.
If you are interested to learn more about this artist Van Gogh, just search for it through internet then. Enjoy!