On Sunday, the 1st of March 2015 we woke up early and felt
excited because of the “dimanche gratuit”. The first Sunday of the month has
meaning that all museums in Mons open for public and free of charge!
When we got to the Grand Place, we knew that not only Montois but visitors
were so happy about this opportunity. There
were so many people everywhere, not like the typical Sunday we know.
We decided to visit the Van Gogh exhibition at BAM and had already
expected to see the crowds. We're all looking forward to come to one of the
highlight event of Mons 2015. I got an information saying there were
certain amounts of tickets distributed today, starting at 10 am. When we got
there around 11 am, there was already a long queue and we were given tickets
for a specific time at 1.45 pm.
Despite that ticketing system, crowds were formed onto the sidewalk of
BAM. Eventhough we came back an hour before our time slot, still had to wait
patiently in the drizzle. While in the afternoon more and more people coming
and tried their luck, asking if there's still any tickets available. I overheard a conversation on how fast
it was the 2000 tickets were gone that day, and everyone had to wait much
longer to get in to the museum than their actual scheduled tickets because it
already met the maximum capacity (in terms of safety and comfort).
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| Visitors listen to the letters of Van Gogh in different languages from overhead speakers - Sarah Heinderyckx (rtbf) |
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| 'Tidy your room'. Kids activity, reconstruction of one of Van Gogh's work 'The Bedroom'. Using colorful stickers. |
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| Van Goghise-me |
Van Gogh and Mons is a love story.
It was during his time living in the Borinage that he decided to become an
artist. It presents a wonderful picture of the artist’s various sources of
inspiration, featuring around 70 of his paintings, sketches and original
letters. “Van Gogh in the Borinage” traces the first artistic stirrings of the
Dutch painter, who was an evangelist in the region. So don’t expect to see the
iconic sunflowers painting, because it highlights the period when Vincent Van
Gogh spent his life in the Borinage – a part of his life that most of us know
little about.
After abandoning several training courses and failing as an art
dealer, teacher, bookseller and lay preacher, he decided to become an artist.
His first steps along the artistic path were taken here, in the Belgian mining
area known as the Borinage, where he stayed from December 1878 to October
1880. The Borinage is not only the place where Van Gogh the artist was born, for
it was here too that he developed his artistic ideology. The time he spent here
thus defined his life and work.
Not an art aficionado, I found myself very emotional during the visit. Personally, I can relate to what he thought about the area. The
colors. The scenery. I can deeply feel his loneliness and depression. How he finally got
up, found his passion and decided to have a go on it. As an artist he was not a
natural talent (and I can see it), but as a writer he certainly was. But he
kept on trying, and had made his own place in the world. Just like what he
wrote: ‘I am a man of passions’. Somehow this told me to hang in there and do
whatever I can do to make my life worth. Who knows maybe in the next centuries,
this blog will become an art form.
A huge success for this event at the Fine Art Museum of Mons,
marks the beginning of Mons 2015, European Capital of Culture. It is a tribute
not only to a celebrated painter but also to our region. So far, there are more
than 35,000 visitors already, since the public opening on January 25, 2015
(after an official opening attended by the King and Queen, a day earlier) and
will last until May 17, 2015. A representative from BAM informed,
the average of visitors reached 1,400 a day. It’s not only good for the museum,
of course the development of this town. I noticed, the town becomes more
vibrant with more people involved in some events and many visitors are coming. Mons
becoming busy and lively. Restaurants are packed, so it’s also good for
business.
*I would also like to congrat my fellow ambassador friend Filip who's been busy for Van Gogh themed events during Mons 2015.