Lindsay William-Ross/Vancouver Is Awesome
The Vancouver Art Gallery will be open late on Friday due to the overwhelming response to the Murakami exhibition said Johanie Marcoux, the VAG's director of marketing, communications and public affairs.
Marcoux said the lineup to get into the gallery on Tuesday evening, which is the gallery's pay by donation night, "has consistently gone all the way around the building."
Takashi Murakami:The Octopus Eats its Own Leg has been the gallery's top performing exhibition for the spring season. She said this is the first time the artist has had a solo exhibition in Canada and it is his only stop in Canada.
"I think the artist has a large appeal and engages a wide audience group" Marcoux said and "his art is resonating with Canadians."
She said the gallery store is also breaking all-time records and "we had to reorder merchandise several times because we ran out."
The VAG recently launched an interactive Facebook Messenger experience that allows visitors to interact with the exhibition by scanning Messenger codes with their mobile phones to learn more about the artwork on display. Each scanned code opens Messenger on the visitor's phone or other mobile device to provide additional information about the exhibit through video interviews with the artist, text, links and artwork animations.
"Takashi Murakami: The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg has a unique and widespread appeal to art and pop culture lovers of all ages. We hope this technology provides visitors with an even more engaging way to connect with the exhibition and the gallery and encourages them to share this experience with their social networks," said gallery director Kathleen S. Bartels.
The VAG will be open until 9 p.m.on Friday starting on March 23 for the duration of the Murakami exhibition and it will be open late every day during the final week of the show, which is on display until May 6.
