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"What am I in most people's eyes? A nonentity, or an eccentric and disagreeable man--somebody who has no position in society and never will have, in short, the lowest of the low. Very well, even if this were true, then I should want my work to show what is in the heart of such an eccentric, of such a nobody.
This is my ambition, which is, in spite of everything, founded less on anger than on love . . . ." Vincent van Gogh |
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In this section you'll find details about various cultural events inspired by the life and works of Vincent van Gogh. When I say "cultural event" I take into account a huge range of topics: theatre, dance, plays, musical compositions--even local "town fairs" with a Van Gogh flavour. And the works don't necessarily have to be in production--a play or musical piece, for example, is of interest whether it's being performed or not. I set no limit on the types of "events" included here--whether it's a full blown opera or a second grade class staging their own Van Gogh exhibition.
The listings below (which I hope very much will grow in the weeks and months to come) are a moving testament to the many ways in which Van Gogh's genius has influenced and inspired so many people around the world.
Current/Upcoming Events
Past Events
Feeling that this was the last generation of people still alive who may have information about Van Gogh she contacted the Mayor of Arles with an idea.
'Arlésiens autour Van Gogh' will take place on Thursday, 11th October 2018 at the Médiathèque, Espace Van Gogh, Arles, France.
Bernadette Murphy, will open up her database of the entire population who lived in Arles at the time of Vincent van Gogh. This database is also an incredible sociological tool, showing how life was evolving while Vincent was living in the city. Her aim is to see whether there is any information still to be gathered about the artist's stay in Arles. The public will be invited on a one-on-one basis to share stories and bring any documents or photos they may have.
The documentary 'The Mystery of Van Gogh's Ear' will be shown throughout the day.
The day will close with a lecture: 'Van Gogh: His Year in Arles' at 5.30 pm.
Entry is free. Contact : +334 90 49 39 39
The Indiana University Opera Theater premiered a new work based on the life of Van Gogh by Bernard Rands entitled "Vincent" The premiere will be live video streamed on April 8 and 9, 2011 at http://www.music.indiana.edu/iumusiclive/streaming/.
For more information visit the production website at http://www.music.indiana.edu/opera/vincent/index.html.
Ted Zalewski of Cambridge, Massachusetts hosted a one man show featuring Vincent van Gogh's close friend, Joseph Roulin. Mr. Zalewski portrayed Roulin musing about Vincent in an Arles café on the day of the artist's funeral. Mr. Zalewski is no stranger to the theatre--his one man show of Teddy Roosevelt has been performed in 35 states across America.
For more information visit http://ted.solotogether.com/vincent.html.
From 7 February to 6 September 2010, the Vincent van GoghHuis Zundert presented the exhibition Boch & Van Gogh. Anna and Eugène Boch were contemporaries of Vincent van Gogh. They were both skillful artists themselves. The exhibition shows twenty impressionist paintings by Anna Boch from the collection of the Keramikmuseum in Mettlach. It also contains several paintings from a private collection that her brother Eugène Boch painted in the Borinage, as Vincent had suggested to him.
Anne and Eugène Boch, relatives of the founders of the Boch pottery factories, are particularly known for their special relationship with Vincent van Gogh. Van Gogh met the Belgian painter Eugène Boch (1855-1941) in Arles in June 1888. They became friends and Vincent painted a remarkable portrait of Boch. He depicted him like a ‘poet’ with a deep blue starry sky in the background. It’s through Boch that Van Gogh was invited to participate in an exhibition in Brussels. There his painting ‘The red vineyard’ was bought by Eugène’s sister Anna Boch (1848-1936). It’s said that this is the ‘only’ painting Vincent van Gogh ever sold during his life. Van Gogh advises Eugène Boch to return to his birth place in the Borinage to paint the coal mines. Vincent trades one of his paintings to one of the works Boch made there.
The artistic legacy of Anna and Eugène Boch was underexposed for a long time. The Vincent van GoghHouse focuses not only on their special relationship with Van Gogh, but also on Anna Boch’s impressionist paintings and on several works of Eugène Boch from the Borinage.
The exhibition was accompanied by a bilingual publication (Dutch/English), published by Scriptum Art (€15,-). The Museum Shop sold authentic vases by Boch Keramis, based on a design by Charles Catteau. In his time, this famous artist was recruited by Anna Boch for the artistic branch of the factory.
Over 2000 delegates from more than 75 countries gathered during a week, communicating through only one language: Esperanto. Among about hundred cultural and linguistic programs, the presentation on Vincent were part of the series on the culture of the hosting country. Katalin Kováts (who also translated my site to Esperanto) used during her talk materials from her Esperanto course as well as texts from www.vggallery.com.
Additional details about the Van Gogh discussion (in Esperanto) is available here.
Created by the Ensemble for the Romantic Century, the fully-staged, theatrical performance of Van Gogh's Ear features an original script by ERC Artistic Director Eve Wolf, and is based on the well-known letters from Vincent to his brother Theo van Gogh. The letters reveal Vincent's inner struggles and his strong sensitivity to sound, as well as the parallels he saw and often articulated between the visual and the musical art forms. The inspirational power of music was a source of solace to Van Gogh, who tried to emulate music's expressive and sensory qualities through the vibrancy of his palette, as exemplified by the following: "I am working now on a painting in which there is a vast field of wheat under troubled skies. The field of wheat is ruined and hurled to the ground by a storm. I did not need to go out of my way to express sadness and extreme loneliness. My brush goes between my fingers as a bow would on the violin."
With stage direction by MIFA’s executive artistic director, Donald T. Sanders, and design by Vanessa James, the production features French Canadian actor Simon Fortin as Van Gogh. Born in Quebec City, Fortin trained at the Conservatoire d’Art Dramatique du Québec and at Drama Studio London, England. In the last 20 years, Simon has acted and sung in more than 60 productions in Canada and the U.S. and has been a successful playwright and translator as well.
The script for Van Gogh's Ear interweaves performances of works by four of the most representative French composers of Van Gogh's time: Claude Debussy, Gabriel Fauré, Ernest Chausson, and César Franck. The musicians form a collaborative ensemble between ERC and the Montreal Chamber Music Festival and include mezzo-soprano Desirée Halac; tenor (TBA); violinists Andy Simionescu and Jonathan Crow; violist Beth Guterman; cellist (and Montreal Festival Artistic Director) Denis Brott; and ERC's co-artistic directors, pianists Max Barros and Eve Wolf. The Montreal Festival will present the Canadian premiere on Saturday, June 17, when the script will be performed in French, with Van Gogh portrayed by French Canadian actor, Simon Fortin.
General admission tickets for Van Gogh's Ear are $50; contact Alliance Francaise/Florence Gould Hall at 212-307-4100, www.ticketmaster.com, or in-person through the Alliance Française box office, with discounted tickets to members. This performance also serves as ERC and MIFA's annual New York City Spring Benefit. For $250, benefit tickets include VIP performance seating, a pre-performance reception in The Skyroom at Alliance Française, and a post-performance supper. Benefit and general tickets will be sold by phone through ERC (212-288-8020) and MIFA (800-224-6432).
NASK will be held for the fifth year at the School for International Training (SIT), a world famous venue for language and teacher training in Brattleboro, Vermont. The instructors have prepared programs of study that emphasize the active use of Esperanto in intercultural communication, understanding, and cooperation. The teachers include: Katalin Kovats (Hungary/Netherlands), Sylvain Lelarge (France/Netherlands) and Lee Miller (US). The cost for a three-credit course is $1015. Housing in a shared room with three meals a day is $700. Singles are $820. Students will arrive on July 2nd and depart on July 22nd. Classes officially will be July 3rd through 21st.
Katalin Kovats will provide a unique language experience based on the life and art of the painter Vincent van Gogh. While studying the fine points of grammar and improving both understanding and speaking abilities in Esperanto, the students will increase their vocabulary related to art, nature, philosophy and even illness, geography, and astronomy (besides everyday subjects). Sylvain Lelarge will bring his talents using suggestopedia and other brain-friendly speaking activities which have made him a popular instructor around the world.
Up to date information about NASK (in English and Esperanto) can be found at http://esperanto.org/nask/
On-line registration will be found in the spring at
Sponsored by the Esperanto League for North America
and the Esperantic Studies Foundation
School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont
http://www.sit.edu/esperanto/index.html
REVIEW: One man shows are, by their very nature, among the most difficult of theatre pieces to stage successfully. The burden on the actor is a heavy one and an audience tends to approach such plays with heightened expectations. As a result, it was a true delight to attend "Vincent" at the Theatre Passe Muraille's Backspace. The Passe Muraille's Backspace boasts a very small stage, but this works extremely well given the intimacy required--intimacy both in terms of the subject matter of the play as well as between the actor and the audience. The staging and direction are solid, but the real credit goes to Gabe Bettio who does an outstanding job. Gabe's performance as both Theo and Vincent is, in a word, outstanding. He captures both roles beautifully and engages the audience with his masterful portrayal of sorrowful brother and passionate artist. Gabe Bettio's performance makes "Vincent" a must see event--for lovers of art and for lovers of first-rate theatre.
Malma Backe 3 H
752 47 Uppsala
Sweden
If you'd like to announce your own Van Gogh event (again, there's nothing too big or small for this section), then I'd be happy to invite you to send me an e-mail at brooks@vggallery.com and let me know.
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