Van Gogh exhibition won’t reopen in Winnipeg

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This article was published 12/02/2021 (2000 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Imagine Van Gogh, a stunning cinematic exhibit of Vincent Van Gogh’s artwork, has been effectively mothballed in Hall D at the RBC Convention Centre since it closed in October because of COVID-19 restrictions.

It will likely move to another city in the coming weeks, says Justin Paquin, the exhibit’s point man at Paquin Entertainment, which helped bring the exhibit to Canada. Paquin says while it could safely reopen to local art lovers, Manitoba’s government will not consider it because of the convention centre venue.

Paquin is frustrated because smaller exhibit spaces will open to the public soon in the wake of relaxed restrictions commencing Feb. 12, including the Manitoba Museum, which will be allowed to open at 25 per cent capacity commencing March 4.

“We feel that our 25,000-square-foot space is probably the largest space in the province to have this kind of activity, especially with museums and art galleries opening,” says Paquin.

“When we closed in the fall, we were operating with a five-person cohort model and we could open today using that same model,” he says. “We could operate with further restrictions than those in place at museums and art galleries, but unfortunately that has not been the case.

“It 100 per cent has to do with prejudice against that venue,” Paquin says. “Unfortunately, the decision-makers view the venue as an event centre. It doesn’t matter what the activity is inside the convention centre. They deem that the convention centre is not able to operate.

“We do find that unfortunate,” Paquin says. “Because it means that Winnipeggers are missing out on one of the safest — if not the safest — activities to do right now.”

The exhibit, designed by Annabelle Mauger, immerses visitors in huge projections of some 200 Van Gogh paintings.

Paquin says more than 25,000 people went through the exhibit in September and October.

“For the largest space to not be able to open, that’s kind of too bad,” he says. “You can put 500 to 1,000 people in the mall, but you can’t put 10 people in the convention centre.”

Ironically, the exhibit was only made available in Winnipeg because it was too risky to open in larger cities six months ago.

“This kind of thing normally doesn’t come to Winnipeg,” Paquin says. “It would go to Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and other big cities in North America.

“The only reason we were able to bring it here was because of COVID,” he says. “Winnipeg was an available city.”

With the relaxation of restrictions, the exhibition should still be available next week, Paquin says.

“We feel as if the activity itself should be what is judged, rather than the location it takes place in,” he says. “We would be able to move this exhibition to a different location and have it open and operate. But we would be moving it into a smaller location.

“If the size of the space (dictates) how safe it is, the convention centre is the safest space in the province,” Paquin says. “There’s nothing bigger.”

randall.king@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @FreepKing