A DIFFERENT VIEW

I’ll never forget my visit to the Sistine Chapel.

The hallway glowed from its yellowed walls and buzzed from the din of hundreds of people, all crowded in like sardines to catch a glimpse of God’s famous portrait. The surrounding tour guides and Vatican staff were on high alert, ordering the same commands on repeat: phones away, no photos, and keep moving forward to allow a constant stream of guests. Like every other visitor in the room, I craned my neck to the sky, squinted at the beautiful shot of God and Adam’s exchange, then was promptly shoved by a nice family to my right.

For a place so close to God you would think it’d be a bit more peaceful.

Well, now it can be. Capital District residents have a chance to experience the glory of the Sistine Chapel without getting squished. The Albany Capital Center (ACC) will host the popular art exhibit: “Michelangelo — A Different View” until Aug. 23.

The exhibit offers close-up shots of Michelangelo’s work on the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling, one of the most popular tourism locations in the world. According to Reuters, around five million people a year, and upwards of 20,000 a day, enter the chapel to crane their necks upward. Normally adorned on a ceiling almost 70 feet up, visitors will get the chance to soak in the historic art up close at a leisurely pace.

Shannon Licygiewicz, general manager for the Albany Capital Center, spoke about the ACC’s excitement at a media preview for the exhibit July 27. Speakers included Jill Delaney, president and CEO of Discover Albany, and a video message from Glenn Blackman, president of Global Touring & Promotion, Inc., which helps showcase “Michel­angelo — A Different View” across the country.

“This gives everyone an amazing opportunity to see this beautiful artwork up close and in-person,” Licygiewicz said. Especially for anyone unable to travel abroad, “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see this amazing artwork up close. It’s displayed beautifully in the space and can be viewed safely in our facility.”

The exhibit contains over 50 images of the Sistine Chapel that are reproduced and transferred to special fabric. This technique, which was performed under the license of the Vatican Museums, allows for a more honest reproduction of the art. Each display looks as if it was painted on stone, with tiny cracks visible in deep detail, adding to the historic feel.

The focal section of the exhibit are the images of the Chapel’s main ceiling, now viewed from the floor, that depicts nine scenes from Genesis, such as “The Creation of Adam” and “The Fall of Man and the Expulsion From Paradise.”

“It’s an amazing opportunity to come see something like this,” Licygiewicz said. “I know I’m never going to get to Italy … so to me it’s a chance to connect to something I wouldn’t have been able to. On the flip side, if you have been there it’s a chance to rekindle some of those memories and rekindle some of the magic of what this really is.”

Added Licygiewicz: “The appreciation of bringing this art to light at a time when you need something like this on the forefront to focus on, something positive and beautiful, I think that’s the most exciting thing.”

Tickets for “Michelangelo — A Different View” are available for purchase from $8-$17 with group discounts and family packs available. For more information on tickets and COVID-19 protocols, visit www.albanycapitalcenter.com