After a year of dazzling immersive exhibits burst onto the city’s arts and culture scene, Beyond Monet is ready to open its doors to the Toronto public for its world premiere on Thursday, August 12th. The new exhibit is set within 50,000 square feet of space in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and uses larger than life installations to take visitors deep into the world of the acclaimed artist.
The first space of the exhibit takes you into the life and mind of Claude Monet through various translucent panels of his iconic water lilies which also feature excerpts about his past, the various inspirations for his work and quotes from the painter himself.
The largest space, where a panoramic projection of his art sweeps around you, also features a gazebo and mirrored objects. On the surrounding screens, you’ll be able to watch as his colourful creations fill the room, transforming from vibrant and bright to dark and dramatic, taking you along the emotional journey of Monet’s life. You’ll bliss out as music plays and changing colours allow you to see the works in different lights, literally.
Normal Studios multimedia director Félix Fradet-Faguy was one of the creative designers of Beyond Monet. He told Curiocity that the intention is to make you “want to forget your every day life,” and also tell the story of an artist who was ahead of his time.
“We wanted to illustrate how radical he was for his era, because we kind of forget that about him when we see his art work on coffee mugs or pillows,” he said. “We forget that, at the time, people were laughing at his artwork. He was kind of rebellious.”
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The first room also features three of his famous bridges. After your stroll over the bridge, you’ll come to a hallway complete with shiny streamers which lead you to the projection. Here you’ll find a massive room with a gazebo in the center so you can sit back and enjoy the show. The projections tell a story as they move around the room, complete with his quotes, music and sound effects, making you feel like you’re in the painting itself.
“The quotes help to understand that obsession he had to be free,” said Fradet-Faguy.
The nature of the show and the projections give a 3D quality to much of the work truly giving you an otherwordly experience of one of art’s great masters. Look closely because you could sit here for a long time and not see the same thing twice — the whole composition is about 36 minutes long, said Fradet-Faguy. And if you find that you love it enough to take home, you can check out the gift shop at the end which sells Monet prints, pins, and other unique merch.
Apparently, the team behind Beyond Monet has many other artists that they would like to feature in a similar exhibit, and Fradet-Faguy says that Toronto is definitely “a good destination” for the future.
If you’re ready to snag tickets you can click below. Like many other immersive exhibitions, the tickets are timed entry, and masks are required.
Beyond Monet
When: August 12th-October 3rd
Where: Metro Toronto Convention Centre, 255 Front Street West
Cost: $49.99+ per person
