A tour through the life of Van Gogh in Barcelona’s Port Vell

Given the expense and the risks involved, galleries are increasingly reluctant to lend out their most valuable artworks. This has contributed to the proliferation of exhibitions that use technology to promote the work of artists without the need for the actual work to be physically present.

Such is the case of Meet Vincent Van Gogh, which presents itself as an “experience” about the life and work of the Dutch artist, Vincent Van Gogh. Produced by the Proactiv company, the exhibit has been endorsed by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

The installation can be seen at Port Vell in Barcelona until the start of the summer in a 1,500 square metre marquee. Audio guides the visitor through the exhibit that features video projections, photographs and staged elements, such as the artist’s room in Arlès, which Van Gogh immortalised in his most celebrated paintings. The visitor can sit on the bed and handle copies of his famous paintings. As could be seen from last Thursday’s inauguration, it is the ideal opportunity for a selfie.

The tour of the exhibit takes the visitor through Van Gogh’s early life as part of a numerous, religious family until he found his reason for living: art. It continues through his life in Provence, his illness and ultimate suicide.