The fact that famous images of iconic art masters can now move from wall to wall in the exhibition space and how the talking paintings in the magical world of Harry Potter are brought to life is a new phenomenon that digitalization has brought with it. It wasn’t too long ago that the works of a world-famous, one-eared Dutchman and those of the co-founder of the Vienna Secession were transformed into an audiovisual illusion. After “Van Gogh Alive” and “Klimt’s Kiss”, the event location Utopia Munich is now opening its doors for another house number – for an artist who, according to producer Nepomuk Schessl, actually forced himself onto the scene.
“Monet wanted the viewer to immerse themselves in his works of art, which is why he painted his water lily pictures in such an incredibly large format,” explains the Munich resident about his immersive exhibition “Monet’s Garden”. As the name suggests, the Utopia industrial hall hides a model of Oscar-Claude Monet’s (1840 – 1926) paradisiacal, colorfully planted flower and water garden, the original of which is still cared for today in the small French village of Giverny. In a room completely paneled with green plastic leaves, a mini imitation of Monet’s Japanese bridge is built over a projection of his famous water lily pond. Plus the contemplative scent of lavender and water lily paired with Maurice Ravel’s gentle orchestra.
Insta-story photographers and raging children love this place, but the exhibition as a whole takes an educational approach. “Our visitors learn something here without consciously realizing it,” Schessl is convinced. He points to further experiential spaces in which Monet’s work is broken down into sketches and colors in large-format projection. A magnifying glass moves over another projected painting and explores the artist’s style. The “highlight” of the exhibition presents an outline of Monet’s biography, the journey from Impressionism to Symbolism, in the separate showroom. There, visitors can immerse themselves in a lively animated surround documentary for a good 45 minutes.
Moving, smelling, making sounds – of course the analogue screens can’t do any of that, in contrast to “Monet’s Garden”. Nevertheless, the producer is sure that he can mobilize people for classical art through immersion: “Nothing replaces the original.”
Monet’s Garden: Oct. 27 – Feb. 18, 2024, Utopia Munich, Heßstr. 132, Monday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., tickets 24 euros, under www.monets-garten.de