Whether you’re a fan of art or not, at some point you’ve probably thought something like “Works of art can be quite hard to understand,” or “I don’t really know what I should be looking for.” The idea that you can just look at one in any way you like is actually quite hard. At this event, you can find out about ways of looking at works from familiar viewpoints, as well as how to enjoy viewings while expanding and sharing your perceptions. You’re sure to get some new ideas about how to enjoy viewing art.

Part 1. Van Gogh’s skies: Interpreting his paintings through astronomy and art
Although the impressive night skies that appear in Van Gogh’s pictures were painted from life, he did not paint exactly what he saw. Why did he paint his starry nights like this? If we can solve the mystery of the starry skies in his paintings, this might bring us closer to his inner thoughts. Part 1 consists of a dialogue between curators from the Osaka Science Museum and NAKKA. We will analyze the sky at which Van Gogh must have been looking from the astronomical perspective, and observe the positions and angles of the moon and stars that appear in the actual works. Then we can try imagining what he wanted to express when he painted the starry night.

* Actual works will not be on display.

Part 2. The pleasures of art
Viewing works of art starts from the impression generated within my own mind. At first that may be a hazy impression that can’t be put into words. By sharing it with other people, like friends and family, you can notice things you hadn’t seen before and extend your perspective to cover different angles. In Part 2, we will ask the question “What does it mean to view a work of art?” and learn ways of deepening our viewing experience. We will also practice a number of exercises, which you will be able to put to use whenever you view art.