Imagine Picasso in Vancouver brings the modern art master to the masses

By Mark Sissons

Pablo Picasso once said that it took him four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child. What better way to experience the Spanish modern art master’s breathtaking oeuvre then than through the eyes of a child?

My partner’s six-year-old, Nayam, had never heard of Picasso until we visited the Imagine Picasso immersive art exhibition now on at the Vancouver Convention Centre. Once he saw Picasso’s masterpieces projected on the Convention Centre’s walls, Nayam was an instant fan. ‘Pretty cool’ was this first-time art critic’s initial reaction.

Pretty cool indeed.

Hot on the heels of the popular Imagine Van Gogh immersive exhibition that ran in Vancouver until October 15th comes the Western Canadian debut of Imagine Picasso. The show includes recreations of more than 200 of his paintings displayed together for the first time. The collection consists of images from his early Blue and Rose periods to his triumphant embracement of Cubism and prolific final years. For Picasso enthusiasts, it’s a unique opportunity to experience some of the greatest works of this insanely prolific artist in one place.

*Nayam, a newcomer to art, discovers Imagine Picasso. Credit: Mark Sissons*

Imagine Picasso was created by Annabelle Mauger and Julien Baron in collaboration with art historian Androula Michael and Rudy Ricciotti, one of the leading figures of the new French architecture movement. Collectively, they have crafted spectacular scenography inspired by the paper sculptures Picasso made for his children. The paintings, projected onto nine large Origami-style structures, offer a novel perspective on the great artist’s genius.

Upon entering the show, we first encounter an introductory exhibit that tells Picasso’s life story through the lens of the distinct periods of his work. There are also detailed explanations of his philosophy of art, along with a celebration of his love of poetry. The main wall displays smaller versions of all of the monumental works that await us next door.

The fun begins once we enter the immersive show. Surrounded by multiple-metre high projections of Picasso’s work that magnify his singularly whimsical brushstroke technique, Nayam skips and twirls his way from one evolving image to the next. Occasionally, he stops to stare as the spectacle continually shifts from the entire space being awash in a single pattern to multiple images cycling through Picasso’s artistic stages.

*Imagine Picasso. Credit: Jean Sebastien Baciu*

At one point, some of Picasso’s famous sketches bathe the walls, stopping Nayam in his tracks.

“Hey, they look like my drawings,” he says. “Only maybe a little bit better.”

Maybe better, but still an immense inspiration. Who knows how many beautiful worlds Nayam will be motivated to create after his first immersion into the imagination of this giant of 20th-century creativity who innately understood that the best art is mere child’s play?

IF YOU GO
Dates: October 27, 2021 – January 8, 2022

Times: 9 am – 9 pm (last entry one hour before closing)

Closed: Dec 25th and Jan 1st

Special opening times:

December 24th – 9 am to 5 pm

December 31st – 9 am to 5 pm

Last entry 1 hour before close

Where: Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre, East Building, 999 Canada Place, Vancouver
Tickets starting at $39.99 (including service charges) are available at www.imagine-picasso.com

NOTE: Under the current Provincial Health Order, the Vancouver Convention Centre requires all guests to wear a mask at all times and show proof of two vaccinations. Visitors are required to present a digital or printed Vaccine Card AND a piece of valid government ID before being admitted into the event. Please do not attend if you have any symptoms of illness, no matter how mild.