The Van Gogh Museum is fundamentally a classical art museum, devoted entirely to the life and work of Vincent van Gogh and his contemporaries. But lately something has been shifting. In addition to its top permanent collection and temporary exhibitions, the museum is developing a robust program around mental health and well-being, in which yoga plays a notable role.
Under the umbrella ‘Open Up with Vincent,’ several activities are offered that all revolve around being more consciously present in the museum galleries. Yoga in the museum is a visible elaboration of this. Between the paintings, movement is used as an entrance to look differently: through calm postures, breathing and concentration, visitors are invited to really take the time for a work, rather than quickly walking past it.
That focus on yoga and mindfulness connects directly to themes from Van Gogh's own life. The museum explicitly uses the sessions to address topics such as mental fragility and resilience. For example, by pairing a work from his period in Saint-Rémy with an exercise in attention, space is created to talk about how Vincent himself struggled with his mental health issues, without it becoming heavy or distant.
That focus on yoga and mindfulness connects directly to themes from Van Gogh's own life.
With this combination of large Van Gogh collection, yoga activities in the museum spaces, meditation videos and the Manduka capsule collection, the museum is increasingly profiling itself as a place where you come not only for culture, but also for mental reflection and a form of well-being closely linked to the life story of Vincent van Gogh.