Van Gogh Alive brightens up Beijing

Visitors enjoy Starry Night, one of Van Gogh’s masterpieces, at the multimedia show of Van Gogh Alive in Beijing. [Photo/China.com.cn]

Meanwhile, technicians dissected and magnified different parts of Van Gogh's paintings to showcase how he handled layers of colors. They also animated some details. For instance, they made the crows in Wheatfield with Crows come alive in the landscape believed to be Van Gogh's last work, and also activated a train in one of his drafts, which runs on the 4-to-7 meter-high screens.

The show in Shanghai's Xintiandi district attracted 357, 627 visitors in all in the past four months, some of whom said they were fascinated by how technology could make Van Gogh’s art come alive while others were disappointed that they weren't able to see the artist's actual works.

"Van Gogh lived a legendary life, with so many stories to tell," said Zhou Yi, the show's Chinese curator and a Shanghai-based independent producer who has developed TV shows and stage performances when the show in Shanghai made its debut.