Van Gogh “comes” to Pristina: immersive exhibition at Deep Space runs through Nov. 3

Since Tuesday, Pristina has had an unusual exhibition: the work of Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) is presented in immersive form at the Deep Space Prishtina venue, in the former “Gërmia” building on Skanderbeg Square. The exhibition was produced by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Kosovo in cooperation with Prishtina Music Conference and is open from Oct. 20 through Nov. 3.

Instead of canvases on the walls, visitors experience the Dutch artist's paintings through projections, sound and movement, a format that blends technology with art and aims to engage all the senses.

Van Gogh, from art dealer to painter

The Dutch ambassador to Kosovo, Astrid de Vries, recalled at the opening that Van Gogh managed to create remarkable art despite many failures in his life. She highlighted a little-known fact: the painter spent a year in London in 1873–1874, where he worked as an art dealer and not yet as a painter.

Culture Minister Saranda Bogujevci quoted the artist's well-known words, “I dream of painting and then I paint my dream,” linking them to Kosovo's path to independence. “We are a small country with big dreams,” she said.

Schools among the first visitors

Pristina Mayor Përparim Rama described the capital as a city with a young and energetic community and said experiences like this give young people more reason to believe in what is possible. According to him, Pristina's schools are already bringing pupils to the exhibition.

According to the schedule published by the events platform Ka’ Po Dalim, sessions for the public start every hour during the day, and a ticket to the exhibition costs 5 euros per session.