starry nights, so many sunflowers

Dazzling 'Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit Houston' paints vivid and moving picture

Did Vincent dream this way?

One couldn’t be blamed for that immediate thought while floating though the lush, vibrant visuals in the new “Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit Houston,” opening Thursday, October 14 at Lighthouse Artspace Houston.

The converted, 16,500-square-foot warehouse space (1314 Brittmore Rd., just behind the Powder Keg outdoor outdoor bar) is a fitting easel for the hyper-visual experience made wildly famous in the Netflix series Emily in Paris. Madonna also counts herself a fan. With more than 3 million tickets sold nationwide, the show has outsold Taylor Swift.

Not to be confused with the current Van Gogh interactive offering (though again, one couldn’t be blamed), this stunning — and original — show animates some of the most iconic works for Van Gogh, who is considered one of humanity’s most important and notable artists.

Equally a star player in the production is the music, some by Italian composer Luca Longobardi, along with a classic from Edith Piaf, and even a tune from Radiohead lead singer Thom Yorke.

Masterpieces come alive via some 60,600 frames of video, totaling 90,000,000 pixels and more than 500,000 cubic feet of projections. But as anyone who’s studied the master’s works can attest, that detail is necessary to truly capture his creations.

Giant walls dance with images of workers in fields, which then wipe to floral settings, or memorable imagery from Van Gogh’s instantly recognizable pieces such as Mangeurs de Pommes de Terre (The Potato Eaters, 1885), Les Tournesols (Sunflowers,1888), La Chambre à coucher (The Bedroom, 1889), and the unforgettable Nuit étoilée (Starry Night, 1889).

Even the floor — lined with circles to stand or sit on for social distancing — is a piece of art. Visitors can stroll (highly recommended), space permitting, or sit, awash in Van Gogh’s dreamscape.

“It’s really interesting you comment that this could be Van Gogh’s dream,” Vito Iaia, co-founder of Impact Museums and the event’s co-producer, tells CultureMap. “This is what Massimiliano Siccardi, the protection artist who created the work you see on the walls, believes went through Van Gogh’s head — right before he died.”

Part art exhibit, part animated film, “Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit Houston” marries the work of three different artists: Van Gogh (of course), aforementioned projection artist Siccardi, and Rowan Doyle, the creative director who created the scenic elements surrounding the venue.

Those scenic elements include:

Sunflower pickup truck: A vintage Ford truck, parked outside the venue, gets a splash of sunflower yellow.
Van Gogh Chapel: Meant to be a love letter to Houston and specifically Rothko Chapel, this design is meant to be a contemplative space before entering the main gallery.
Van Gogh Timeline: As the name implies, this installation features pivotal moments of Van Gogh's career, with symbols harking to his short life.
Texas sunflower sign: Sunflowers dot the Texas state display, perfect for IG selfies.

A bar and gift shop also add to the experience.

At once stirring, playful, and poignant — even emotional — the experience is fitting for now, despite the artwork dating back to the late 1800s.

“People ask why Massimiliano chose Van Gogh right now,” says Iaia. “And part of the answer is there’s probably no better time to tell Van Gogh’s story than right now. This is a reflection of what he went through as a troubled soul and the struggles people are going through today.”

But it’s not all dark. “The bright side is, this is a great way to remember his work. The reception has been amazing. It’s giving him a new life.”

Prepare for a serene, honest moment, but don’t be surprised to be affected — especially with the final imagery. “People are driven to joys, or tears, or thought,” says Iaia. I had someone come out and say, ‘I just saw God.’”

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“Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit Houston”; 1314 Brittmore Rd.; Tickets start at $29.99 per child, $39.99 per adult; $109 for VIP. For more information, visit the official site.

The music is also a key player.

Photo by Michael Brosilow

The music is also a key player.

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Movie Review

George Clooney shines in Jay Kelly, a sharp and heartfelt look at fame

Photo by Peter Mountain/Netflix

George Clooney in Jay Kelly.

The life of a celebrity is paradoxical in that your life is lived in the public eye, yet who you really are is almost unknowable. Movie history is littered with films that try to dig into the private lives of real and fictional actors, with varying results. The latest film to try to unearth what it means to be famous is Jay Kelly.

In a perfect bit of casting, George Clooney stars in the title role as an actor who’s still world famous even if he’s edging toward the downside of his career. His coterie of helpers, including manager Ron (Adam Sandler) and publicist Liz (Laura Dern), make sure he is taken care of at every turn, often anticipating his needs before he realizes it.

A run-in with an old friend, Timothy (Billy Crudup), sends Jay spiraling, questioning not just the meaning of his 35-plus year career, but also his relationships with his two daughters, Jessica (Riley Keough) and Daisy (Grace Edwards). Jay’s attempt to manage the crisis pits his identity as a celebrity and as a father and friend against each other.

Written and directed by Noah Baumbach, and co-written by Emily Mortimer (who has a small role), the film has to walk the tightrope of making the audience like Jay even as he does and says things that might make him unlikable. There’s a very thin line between the character of Jay Kelly and the real life George Clooney; each is seemingly infinitely charming when dealing with the public, but they lead very different private lives.

Baumbach takes a light approach to the story, occasionally dipping into more serious territory but never going too deep. For some, this may seem like a copout, as if he’s merely pretending to want to explore what celebrity truly is. But as you see Jay navigate his way between his work, his family, and being out among the public, little details emerge that make him increasingly complex.

A lot of the film’s pleasure comes from the strong actors cast in relatively minor roles. There are not enough words to express what it means to have actors like Jim Broadbent as Jay’s mentor, or Greta Gerwig as Ron’s wife, or Stacy Keach as Jay’s father, or Patrick Wilson as a fellow longtime actor. Each of them and more lend an instant air of excellence to the film that elevates the story beyond its simple premise.

Clooney may be playing a version of himself, but as the film notes on multiple occasions, playing yourself is more difficult than it seems. He is deserving of an Oscar nomination, as is Sandler, who doesn’t give off even a whiff of insincerity as a man who has given perhaps a bit too much of himself in aid of another man’s career.

Jay Kelly is not a world-changing film, and some may accuse it of being another navel-gazing Hollywood story. But the forcefulness of Clooney’s performance, the long line of strong supporting actors, and the subtly effective storytelling by Baumbach and Mortimer (making her feature screenwriting debut) help it become much more than might be expected.

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Jay Kelly is now playing in select theaters. It debuts on Netflix on December 5.

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