Following the acclaimed successes of MONET'S GARDEN , VIVA FRIDA KAHLO , and TUTANKHAMUN,UTOPIA is once again dedicated to great art: From October 15th, the exhibition experience VINCENT: BETWEEN MADNESSAND WONDER visitors to Munich on a journey into the colorful and ambivalent world of the legendary artist. The multisensory show stages the final years of Vincent van Gogh as an emotional experience, bringing the brilliant painter and his iconic works vividly to life.
VINCENT: BETWEEN MADNESS AND WONDERS – The multisensory show starts on October 15, 2025 at UTOPIA in Munich
As a 360-degree experience, the immersive show offers a new perspective on the artist's final creative period and transports visitors to the French cities of Arles, Saint-Rémy, and Auvers-sur-Oise. It was there, between 1888 and 1890, that he created the works that are now among the most famous in art history.
"I dream my picture, and then I paint my dream." (Vincent van Gogh)
At the heart of this impressive presentation is the close relationship between the painter and his brother Theo – friend, patron, and arguably the most significant constant in Vincent's life. The brothers' extensive correspondence is historically documented and forms the basis of the exhibition's narrative.
Over one hundred letters, brimming with thoughts, doubts, and hopes, open a window into Vincent's inner world and invite visitors to get close to this extraordinary artist who painted against the darkness of his life with every brushstroke. Visitors delve deep into van Gogh's thoughts and experience how his fears and longings become tangible in letters, sketches, paintings, and stories.
In the showroom, the heart of the exhibition, visitors are virtually drawn into the painter's fascinating world. They stroll alongside the exceptional artist to "Café Terrace in the Evening ," stand beneath the sparkling sky of "Starry Night," and are completely enveloped by the luminous yellow of "Sunflowers ." While elaborate 360-degree projections create intoxicating color worlds brimming with emotion and allow visitors to experience van Gogh's works in a completely new way, they move freely through the space. They listen to the thoughts of the tormented artist, sense his doubts, and his unwavering passion for capturing life in color.
In the showroom, visitors are virtually drawn into the fascinating world of the painter (c) VINCENT – Between Madness and Wonder_Alegria_Exhibition
Using state-of-the-art technology, van Gogh's works are projected onto surfaces up to 10 meters wide and over 5 meters high in the exhibition hall. This creates a complete visual experience that reinterprets his unmistakable colors and brushstrokes in vibrant light. Original quotes from his letters accompany the visual spectacle, fostering a connection to an artist whose work continues to deeply resonate. A specially curated soundtrack acoustically complements the immersive world, resulting in a truly sensual, multimedia experience.
The exhibition is accompanied by a specially curated soundtrack – creating a sensual, multimedia experience. (c) VINCENT – Between Madness and Wonder_Alegria_Exhibition
This captivating dialogue between art history and the present day invites you glimpse the inner world of the great master and rediscover his works with all your senses. It's an experience that will delight not only fans of the Dutch painter, but everyone who wants to feel, experience, and interact with art, thus escaping the everyday for a moment.
VINCENT: BETWEEN MADNESS AND WONDER is an intense encounter with the fire of colors in the heart of a tormented genius.
The person behind the myth
Vincent van Gogh is one of the most important artists of Post-Impressionism and has profoundly influenced the art world with his expressive paintings. He only began to paint seriously at the age of 27, after having previously worked as a bookseller, teacher, and lay preacher, among other things.
His life was marked by existential crises, family conflicts, and health setbacks. Yet amidst this turmoil, he found a language in art, whose letters and words were colors. He wrote that he "take revenge with radiant, well-arranged, magnificent color" whenever he felt ugly, old, evil, sick, or poor.
Art as a source of life
The years in Arles, Saint-Rémy, and Auvers-sur-Oise were marked by illness and isolation—but also by hope. In this short time, he created over 300 works, including some of his most famous paintings. For Vincent van Gogh, painting was not a pastime; it was an act of survival. In a letter to his brother Theo, he wrote poignantly:
I'll say it again – we have to work against indifference. Persevering isn't easy – but what's easy isn't worth much either
For him, color became an outlet, light a source of strength against the darkness of his soul. Vincent van Gogh's art is unfiltered, raw, and radically subjective – an open window into his world of thoughts and feelings.
Between light and shadow
When Vincent van Gogh took his own life in Auvers-sur-Oise in July 1890, he had sold only one painting. He died believing he had failed. It wasn't until decades after his death that the significance of his work was recognized. Today, van Gogh is considered one of the most important painters of the modern era. His letters to Theo were filled with doubt, passion, and profound brotherly love, offering fascinating insights into the man behind the canvas. His paintings continue to resonate because they depict far more than sparkling starry skies and the blooming fields of Provence: they reveal the soul of a man who never ceased to strive for beauty.
Vincent van Gogh's work today
Paintings by Vincent van Gogh fetch record prices on the international art market today. In 2022, his painting "Orchard with Cypresses" (Verger avec cyprès) was auctioned for an impressive $117.18 million – a new record for van Gogh. His works hang in the world's most important museums, including the MoMA in New York and the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
The latter houses the most comprehensive collection, with over 200 paintings and 500 drawings. None of Vincent van Gogh's descendants own any of his works today. Theo's son, as director of the Vincent van Gogh Foundation, to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam in 1973. The family thus consciously chose to make Vincent's art accessible to the public rather than bequeath it.
Owner and Managing Director of Kunstplaza . Publicist, editor, and passionate blogger in the fields of art, design, and creativity since 2011. Graduated with a degree in web design from university (2008). Further developed creative techniques through courses in freehand drawing, expressive painting, and theatre/acting. Profound knowledge of the art market gained through years of journalistic research and numerous collaborations with key players and institutions in the arts and culture sector.
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"Kidney" coffee table made of unpeeled rattan and recycled teak
1.185,00 €
