Van Gogh Museum Light Art Project in Amsterdam, the Netherlands | Tracing Van Gogh's Story | Kota | Oneness Artist
Where The Light Is
"Where The Light Is," an original light art project by Oneness artist Kota,
Where The Light Is was held at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
(June 16, 2023)
The true artist, Van Gogh.
I have always loved Van Gogh.
To be able to carry out an art project in a place that can be called his sacred ground,
I am truly honored.
The Van Gogh Museum Closed in the Dark Night
In the darkness of the night, the Van Gogh Museum closed.
There, Kota’s artworks glow and are projected...
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Van Gogh, who was not recognized during his life, started to receive the spotlight
(the light) only after his death.
And so did his artworks.
Although Van Gogh was said to be temperamental and emotional during his life,
the truth remains unknown.
We can only imagine what he thought, felt, and experienced at the time,
but despite not selling his works, he continued to paint passionately
and lived life to the fullest in this world.
A human being was there.
And now, the masterpieces he left behind
are bringing light to the hearts of many people.
If my light (art) has been received by you,
I am deeply honored.
Sleepwalk
Van Gogh, who had a theory of painting
It is a well-known story, but Vincent van Gogh is
one of the artists who became recognized after his death.
Now, a single painting of his can fetch hundreds of millions of yen,
but during his lifetime, it was very rare for his paintings to sell.
(According to one account, only one painting was sold.)
In his paintings, you can feel the intensity, strength, passion,
the speed in his brushstrokes, the trace of his life,
and his unique use of color, his one-of-a-kind personality.
Personally, I feel an overwhelming beauty in the works he created.
The way they draw you in with such force.
When you surrender to that flow of energy, you feel a lightness
and for a moment, forget about reality.
He has been one of my favorite artists for as long as I can remember.
However, at that time, the mainstream criteria for evaluation
were works that were drawn in a neat, realistic style.
Because Van Gogh painted roughly and seemingly carelessly,
he was not recognized by the public.
Even today, there are still people who evaluate his work this way.
However, it turns out that his paintings were actually
carefully calculated, as revealed in letters from his brother Theo,
who supported him financially.
"If I use this color and this color in this proportion,
I should be able to achieve this effect."
"If I arrange the composition this way,
I think this effect will be achieved."
These kinds of thoughts were written in his letters.
It is clear that he was working on his art based on his own theories.
Dawn | Painted under the influence of Van Gogh
The Strange Life of Van Gogh | The Truth is Always in the Dark
Additionally,
he had a difficult personality.
He was mentally ill.
He cut off his own ear.
He shot himself.
And so on.
There are many speculations flying around.
I believe many of them are probably true,
but personally, I feel that some of them are not true.
Especially the story about him shooting himself.
He had been working on his paintings up until that point,
but suddenly, he is said to have acquired a gun from somewhere
and shot himself.
I have doubts about this story.
I feel that there may be traces of a cover-up of a crime or
a lack of investigation at the scene of the incident.
However,
I also think that these kinds of abnormal
episodes and stories are part of the reason
for the current brand of Van Gogh.
Harmonious | Homage to the Choju-giga
Joe, Theo's wife.
Van Gogh and his people | Each piece of the puzzle is a miracle that none of them can be missing from each other
Van Gogh's life was supported by his brother Theo, who was also an art dealer.
In exchange for sending his paintings, Van Gogh received living expenses from Theo,
allowing him to continue his life as a painter.
Theo was also essentially his only friend,
and served as his emotional support.
Then, immediately after Van Gogh's death,
his brother Theo passed away the following year.
Theo's wife, Jo, was left with hundreds of Van Gogh's works
and a large collection of letters.
Jo dedicated her life to fulfilling her late husband's dream of spreading Van Gogh's work.
She actively organized exhibitions and launched strategic sales.
Her efforts became one of the key factors in Van Gogh's current fame.
Without Van Gogh's talent, without Theo's support,
and without Jo's achievements,
there would be no Van Gogh as we know him today.
The one who relentlessly pursued his own talent.
The one who believed in him and supported him more than anyone else.
The one who carried out their shared dream.
All of them were like pieces of a miraculous puzzle, connected to one another.
Actually visit the Van Gogh Museum to see the works.
As expected,
the actual art pieces were truly amazing...
The intensity and presence of a live music performance,
the breath of the artist from the time they painted,
and even the atmosphere surrounding them, the air around them,
could be felt.
Van Gogh and the Impressionists' paintings
seem to scatter various colors when viewed up close,
giving a rough, unfinished impression.
However, from a certain distance,
when viewed from afar, they are more realistic than photographs,
incredibly lifelike, but with something that feels like the sparkle of a soul,
it made my heart race.
Also, after viewing many self-portraits,
I started to feel as though I was being watched in return.
It felt more like meeting a person than simply admiring a painting,
which was a striking impression.
Van Gogh, within his paintings,
(uploading himself)
seemed to keep gazing at future generations.
It felt as if he knew his fate from the start.
Even the turbulent, short life he lived,
it felt as if he knew it all along.
I am in awe of the master.
In the end
After seeing a large number of Van Gogh's works in person,
it felt less like I was simply admiring them,
and more like I had come to meet Van Gogh himself.
Touching the soul of his passionate, energy-filled,
genuine artworks was extremely inspiring and educational
for me as an artist.
One day, I hope to have my own museum,
just like the Van Gogh Museum,
a museum dedicated to myself,
"Kota Museum."
I will continue to strive toward this goal.
Thank you for all the lessons, love, and experiences!
Van Gogh,
I will come to visit again.
Living
