Michelangelo up close: Exploring the Sistine Chapel exhibition

THE AVERAGE person never gets much time to look at the frescoes adorning the ceiling of the Vatican’s famed Sistine Chapel, with about 25,000 tourists ushered in and out of the chapel each day. There’s simply no time, no freedom to take photos, and also no way to look closer and appreciate the finer details painted over 60 feet above ground.

To take it even further, the average Filipino is likely not even able to fly all the way to the Vatican in Rome to set foot in the apostolic palace, making full appreciation of Michelangelo’s landmark Renaissance work all the more elusive.

For Sabrina Co and her family, “Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition” changed all of that. They stumbled across the traveling exhibit in Vancouver, Canada three years ago and realized this had to be brought to the Philippines.

The exhibit arrived in Manila in July this year, care of Ms. Co’s company ATIN Global, welcoming Filipinos to its solemn yet inviting halls. It features 34 life-sized images of the legendary frescoes which are printed on Decotex for the exhibit.

BusinessWorld took up the enticing offer by Security Bank to see how the elusive works have come closer to the eyes (and phone cameras) of many. (This was a scheduled visit for friends and clients as part of the bank’s initiative to support the arts.)

PROS AND CONSThe rare photos of the original works approved by the Vatican are, admittedly, not of the finest quality. After all, they take on the challenge of rendering flat images that must be adjusted given the curvature of the chapel ceilings.

There’s also the issue of the reproductions being blown up to be larger than life which, on the pro side, allows for Instagram-worthy pictures and puts you at eye level with each brush stroke, cracked portion, and well-defined muscle. On the con side, as anyone who has digitally enlarged or zoomed too much into an image would know, the imperfect quality becomes apparent. People at the exhibit can step right up to the reproduced image and come face-to-face with what our digital-age eyes expect to be in high definition but isn’t.

Based on photos online, it appears that SEE Global, the company that came up with the traveling exhibit, was previously able to display some of the images elevated from the floor and set up high near the ceiling and tilted down, maintaining a reverent distance from visitors.

Perhaps the exhibition space in Estancia Mall couldn’t accommodate that orientation, but it would have been a big improvement. It would have prevented the whole thing from looking kind of like a collection of giant, oversized posters of serviceable quality at first glance, when you first enter the venue.

MULTI-SENSORY EXPERIENCEBut the ambience, which elevates the experience into a multi-sensory one, helps you look past that. It includes fake candles alternating between each board, a mild custom fragrance that evokes Renaissance Italy, and hymns from the time playing faintly from the speakers.

Visitors should come equipped with earphones and the exhibit app that one should ideally have downloaded for the visit beforehand. The audio guides make the tour immersive and educational. Every fresco is explained in detail and with flair, from the Bible story it’s based on, to Michelangelo’s approach to depicting it on plaster.

The relatively steep entrance fee of P650 on the weekdays and P750 on the weekends may seem like a lot, especially if you have high expectations of the exhibit. But the value that it provides makes sense, considering that the real deal entails a whole other expensive trip to Italy where the rushed, 15-minute stroll in the real Sistine Chapel is unable to give visitors a close glimpse of the art nor any of the in-depth information presented in the digital audio guide. Whether it’s worth it or not varies and boils down to a matter of perspective.

A standout would be the reproduction of The Last Judgment, which runs from floor to ceiling, the largest one there, but which is not blown out of proportion to the point of lower quality. The visually striking, monumental painting is easily the most impressive piece, depicting 390 characters in various poses filling the landscapes of heaven, purgatory, and hell.

INSTAGRAM FODDERWhile The Creation of Adam is the painting which draws the most netizens taking turns to take photos for Instagram fodder (usually the subject poses in between where God and Adam’s fingers meet), it’s The Creation of Eve that inspired the most curiosity.The accompanying audio guide details how Eve’s position standing right by where Adam is laying down is symbolic of her being taken from his rib. It also explains why God’s likeness in the painting is relevant, being the first ever to try to portray him from head to toe.

Every prophet and ancestor of Christ has a story on Michelangelo’s frescoes, and it’s awesome to be able to hear about them through your headphones and trace every detail being brought to your attention as you wander about, taking everything in at your own pace.

Though it’s a far from a flawless experience, art students, history nerds, and people of faith can visit the exhibit for a mini pilgrimage, to take the opportunity to understand the splendor of Michelangelo’s remarkable depiction of Biblical events more intimately than ever.

For those who aren’t that familiar with Renaissance art or the Sistine Chapel’s intricacies, this exhibit is a decent starting point.

The exhibit runs until Sept. 30 on the second floor of the Estancia Mall’s North Wing, in Capitol Commons, Pasig City. Tickets are available at the exhibit or online via http://www.sistinechapelphilippines.com/. — Brontë H. Lacsamana