Take a photo with a Da Vinci on the floor
YOU CAN TOUCH IT: Internationally acclaimed 3D artist Kurt Wenner brings his unique exhibition Incredible Illusions to Cape Town. It is fully interactive, demonstrated by Mariachar Meyer, left, and Sheearl van Niekerk. Picture: Jason Boud YOU CAN TOUCH IT: Internationally acclaimed 3D artist Kurt Wenner brings his unique exhibition Incredible Illusions to Cape Town. It is fully interactive, demonstrated by Mariachar Meyer, left, and Sheearl van Niekerk. Picture: Jason Boud
AN INVENTIVE 3D art installation, a type usually seen on pavements around the world, by internationally acclaimed artist Kurt Wenner opened at the Jubilee Hall at the V&A Waterfront Watershed yesterday.
The installation recreates traditional masterpieces like Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Michelangelo’s The Last Supper with an eccentric twist that makes the audience "part of the image".
Exhibition assistant Marischar Meyer, 19, of Delft demonstrated how, sitting on a bench on the floor in a garden scene, the artwork pops out into a spectacular 3D display. For the best viewing and photo opportunities, visitors are told to stand on a painted spot on the floor. “It is all geometrical and fun,” said Meyer.
The exhibition makes masterpieces come alive, while artists and students will recognise Wenner’s homage to the past with his use of colour, style, image references and drawing techniques.
His installation manager, Colin Law, said: “The genius of Kurt is that he only works in chalk pastel. Everything is a chalk painting.
"Obviously chalk doesn’t last long, so what he has done is take the chalk drawing and found a way to paint in half-size and then the work is digitalised on panels and pieced together to make a full work of art on a very special fabric that is durable.
“The work has longevity and can endure a child spilling his ice cream, or a downpour of rain. It is a very clever installation; you can see the finest details and nothing is photoshopped.”
As a pioneer of the modernisation of the street art, Wenner took five years to perfect his use of anamorphic perspective, and had to “invent an entirely new geometry" in order create his vibrant images, said Law.
Unlike at a conventional museum, exhibition organisers encourage touching and photographing the artwork for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
“The exhibition includes an educational zone that shares the history of pavement art and how geometry plays a pivotal role in 3D painting, immersive and interactive art pieces,” said exhibition publicist Jeni Fletcher.
"To conclude your experience there is a 'Art Jamming' zone, where visitors can learn the basics of 3D painting and express themselves."
The paint is non-toxic but beware: it is near impossible to remove from clothing.