In 2015 and 2016, Ben Heine had a major itinerant exhibition in Russia, which started in June at Moscow Planetarium and moved to Arkhangelsk and then Tyumen in Siberia (other exhibitions are planned in Omsk and Saint Petersburg). The show featured over 30 large size Pencil Vs Camera signed canvases along with eight interactive installations, which enabled the visitors to literally travel inside Heine's world. Heine also made a public Flesh and Acrylic live performance for the opening of the exhibition at Moscow Planetarium. Ben Heine music was also broadcasted for the first time in public during these events.
In Moscow:
In Arkhangelsk:
In Tyumen:
For the first time, Heine's Pencil Vs Camera artworks were printed and exhibited as 2 separate layers , one for the drawing and one for the photo, this brought an even stronger 3D effects for the visitors. Representatives of the Belgian Embassy in Russia attended and supported the exhibition (source). The event gathered fifty thousand visitors. After Moscow Planetarium, the event moved to Gostiny Dvor National Museum of Arkhangelsk. Many schools and students visited the exhibition (source). The organizers there said they have created a space in a positive, unpredictable and multi-faceted way. The exhibition then moved to the Fine Art Museum of Tyumen (Siberia) in January 2016.
The exhibitions were divided into thematic areas: "city", "zoo" and "Life of Remarkable People". It was designed for a large public to please families and children with games and attractive experiences about optical illusions and binocular vision. The exhibition had lounges, cafes, a cinema area featuring Heine's music, documentaries and animated works along with hourly workshops sessions and master classes on drawing and painting in the style of Heine and gifts shops. Heine has created one special Pencil Vs Camera featuring St Basil Cathedral. Heine said "St Basil Cathedral is an exceptional building, it is the symbol of Russian architecture, religion and spirit, I added a cute angel in my sketch because Russian people are very friendly, open-minded and loving in contrast to what's constantly said in the Western European news" (source).
