Visual Art Blockbusters Come to the Cinema

Displays of artwork by Manet, Munch and Vermeer are to be filmed and screened in more than 70 cinemas, to give audiences from all over the country the opportunity to see them.

The same films will be shown in thousands of theatres across the globe in nearly 30 countries.

The films, by award-winning arts documentary maker Phil Grabsky, will include behind-the-scenes footage of the exhibition being prepared, and a guided tour of the works. A biography of each artist will be included to give context, with a complete display of the words on show.

The first film, of the Manet: Portraying Life exhibition at the Royal Academy, will be screened on April 11th cinemas including the Vue and Picturehouse /City Screen group.

It will be followed by the Edvard Munch exhibition at the National Museum & Munch museum in Oslo, with 220 paintings to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of the artist.

In October, the National Gallery in London will grant film access to the Johannes Vermeer exhibition, with an HD film of his works.

The project, entitled Exhibition, was developed in association with Seventh Art Productions and BY Experience, with more films already in the pipeline for next year.

Mr Grabsky said the launch of the shows was “an absolute thrill”.

“I have been driven by the desire to share the thrill of great exhibitions with everyone from Kansas City to Adelaide, Osaka to Naples, and Glasgow to Cape Town,” he added.

Tim Marlow, an art historian who will give a guided tour of the Manet works, said: “I think that standing face to face with some of the greatest works of art ever made is one of the most powerful experiences in life.

“‘Exhibition' gives us the opportunity to convey something of this power in a cinematic format which brings the viewer as close to the real thing as possible. Sometimes, the camera reveals even more than the naked eye.”

Other countries confirmed to exhibit the series include: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland.

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