“MICHELANGELO’S Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition”, currently on a 27-city global tour, is ongoing until Sept. 30 at Estancia Mall, Capitol Commons, Pasig City.
This show is truly a chance to see the famed Italian artist’s work at eye level. It’s also a much cheaper and closer option than flying to Rome. For that alone, it’s worth a look.
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni was a painter and sculptor of the High Renaissance, best known for his frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican. It took him nearly five years to finish the job, and the resultant masterpieces have been revered ever since.
No, nothing from Rome has been physically transported here.
What you’re going to see is 34 reproductions, including the monumental “The Last Judgement”.
Reproductions, what?
They’re the exact same size as the originals and created with a depth of detail that is everything modern technology can muster. The frescoes have been duplicated using a licensed, high-definition photography method, then printed with a giclée process that mimics the look and feel of the real deals. You can actually see the brushstrokes and every delicate, subtle hue.
For P650 (weekday), P750 (weekend), and P500 (senior/student/PWD), you can get a glimpse of Michelangelo’s famous frescoes, which depict the relationship between humanity and God.
“Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition”, which has been touring the world since 2015, brings 34 life-size images to locations more convenient to art and history enthusiasts.
Set up in a cavernous, industrial frame, the exhibit is intended to bring viewers up close to the artworks that are typically about 60 feet overhead and usually viewed among a crush of people.
“It’s like 2,000 people in there and you only have 15 minutes and (no) screaming and yelling and no photos. And it wasn’t really that pleasant of an experience other than seeing the artwork,” said Martin Biallas, CEO of See Global Entertainment, the tour organizer, of his experience seeing the real frescoes. “(And) when you see it, they all look like stamps.”
And unlike when you see these at the Vatican, this exhibit allows for as much photography as you want. There’s even a set of wall-mounted fluorescent angel wings that make for the perfect photo op. Plus, there are booths where you can have your pictures loaded onto your phone, emailed or even printed for a minimal fee.
The images of the frescoes – all of which are post-restoration and took place in the early 1980s – used for the exhibit are from photographs licensed through Bridgeman Images.
These giant replicas give you a visual window into the Bible. The surreal exhibition has everything from “The Prophet Jonah” to “The Creation of the Sun, Moon and Earth”, “The Separation of Light and Darkness”, the glorious and impressive “Creation of Adam” and “The Last Judgement”.
In an interesting footnote, the exhibit has been put together by See Global Entertainment with no involvement from the Holy See. The Vatican had been interested in being part of the exhibit but stopped responding, according to organizers.
“When they ghosted us, we licensed through Bridgeman Images, an archive similar to Getty Images,” Eric Leong, senior producer at SEE Global Entertainment, told Austin American-Statesman. “Maybe one day we will work together,” he added. “That would make my mother happy.”
Multi-sensory experience
As soon as you step inside the show venue, you’ll feel like you’re actually in the hallowed halls of the Sistine Chapel. This exhibit is truly a multi-sensory experience, starting with ambient Renaissance music curated by Manila Symphony Orchestra conductor Marlon Chan. But that’s not all – you’ll also notice the subtle scents of patchouli, sandalwood and frankincense dispersed throughout the event, adding an extra layer of immersion.
The exhibit is self-guided and features placards near each work. The audio guide, which lasts 90 minutes, informs the listener about who is in each painting, why Michelangelo painted them and their importance in the Bible and church history. All you need to do is download the “Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel” app and listen using your personal headphones.
Michelangelo even painted himself into a couple of the frescoes, giving the exhibit an Easter egg hunt quality if you choose to try and find him.
Looking for the perfect souvenir to remember your Michelangelo experience? Look no further than the Sistine souvenir shop.
Parents and kids shouldn’t miss out on the art room at the exhibition.
Designed for bonding and creativity, parents and kids can color in images here that will be displayed on the art wall.
If you need a break from exploring the exhibit, stop by at Caffe Michelangelo, which serves Italian dessert and coffee.
Mall-goers can view Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgement” along the halls, giving visitors a taste of the stunning artworks at the exhibit venue.
A portion of the proceeds from every ticket sale will go to Hapag Movement (a Globe-led initiative that’s dedicated to fighting involuntary hunger) and the Philippine Red Cross’ national blood service program. For tickets and information, visit www.sistinechapelphilippines.com.
Transcendent genius
More than 500 years ago, Michelangelo, called “Il Divino” (The Divine One), completed perhaps his life’s crowning masterpiece: ethereal, larger-than-life frescoes at the Sistine Chapel that depict such grandiose stories as the creation of man. They have been called “a transcendent work of genius” and continue to influence and inspire artists centuries later.
It was in 1508 that Pope Julius II had commissioned Michelangelo to repaint the ceiling of the chapel. He finally completed it in 1512. He later painted “The Last Judgement” over the altar between 1535 and 1541 on commission from Pope Paul III. A depiction of the second coming of Christ and the final judgment by God of all humanity, featuring 400 people, “The Last Judgement” is the final piece and covers an entire wall.
If time travel were at all possible, art historian Giorgio Vasari, a contemporary of Michelangelo, would marvel at this recreation.
As Vasari noted in his writings about the Sistine Chapel: “This work has been and truly is a beacon of our art, and it has brought such benefit and enlightenment to the art of painting that it was sufficient to illuminate a world which for so many hundreds of years had remained in the state of darkness.
And, to tell the truth, anyone who is a painter no longer needs to concern himself about seeing innovations and inventions, new ways of painting poses, clothing on figures, and various awe-inspiring details, for Michelangelo gave to this work all the perfection that can be given to such details.”
Edutainment exhibit
The edutainment (education plus entertainment) exhibit gives visitors the opportunity to truly take in all of the glory of the Sistine Chapel in full detail. Viewing the frescoes enables us to understand why Michelangelo became and remains one of the world’s greatest artists.
The experience is way different from viewing the originals. Rather than being herded through the Sistine Chapel in a throng of other souls (25,000 a day, believe it or not) craning their necks upward, you’re gazing upon the works right at eye level. Plus, you have the benefit of signage and audio guides for deep dives into the creation of each painting.
It turns out that standing and lying on his back for years on end, wrestling with a penchant for perfect precision, rendered Michelangelo perpetually grouchy and reclusive (understandable). See if you can spy his tiny self-portrait in “The Last Judgement”.
Nobody’s saying an afternoon at Estancia Mall takes the place of a trip to Italy. But if you have an interest in art, history or religious studies – or simply in a relaxing activity in air-conditioned comfort – “Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition” will be a bigger treat than you might guess.
Oh, and unlike in the Sistine Chapel, where photography is forbidden, you can strike a pose touching God’s finger in “The Creation of Adam”. If interfacing with the Almighty isn’t Instagram-worthy, we don’t know what is.
