In a secluded corner of central Bosnia, a rambling 25-acre park in Zenica-Doboj Canton's Visoko—a city near Sarajevo—is being transformed into a living, breathing homage to one of the most iconic paintings in art history, Dutch Post-Impressionist artist Vincent Van Gogh's "The Starry Night."
The pet project of local entrepreneur and avid Van Gogh admirer, Halim Zukic, this remarkable landscape park brings the Dutch master's swirling, celestial vision to life through a stunning labyrinthine arrangement of lavender fields, winding pathways, and shimmering lakes.
The Inspiration Behind the Van Gogh-Inspired Landscape
Zukic first stumbled upon the idea for his Van Gogh-inspired park at least 20 years ago, when he purchased a plot of verdant land near his hometown of Visoko. Initially, he planned to simply create a peaceful retreat space with a hut and a garden.
But in 2018, everything changed when he noticed the tracks left by a tractor on the property. To Zukic's eyes, those undulating patterns mirrored the iconic spiraling brushstrokes of 'The Starry Night', kindling an immediate resolution to transform the land into a living homage to the painting. Something, he says, just clicked in his head, and he no longer had any doubts about what to do about horticulture and landscape architecture in the park. He wanted The Starry Night park to be part of a larger complex offering a retreat to visitors.
Thus, armed with a newfound passion for Van Gogh's work, the former insurance executive set out to bring the artist's masterpiece to life on a grand, three-dimensional scale. He planted more trees and flowers and created 13 lakes using existing natural streams, gradually bringing to fruition his long-held dream.
Recreating Van Gogh's Vision
Over the next six years, Zukic and a team of gardeners sculpted the landscape, planting over 130,000 lavender bushes in six distinct shades of purple. Complementing the lavender are thousands of other aromatic and medicinal plants, including chamomile, Echinacea, sage, and wormwood. Together, these pulsating elements form the undulating swirls and spirals that so closely mirror the celestial movements captured in Van Gogh's iconic 1889 painting.
Halim Zukic:
"Construction machinery served as our brushes, and our colors were the plants. The land, of course, was the canvas. Throughout the space, there is not a single straight line. The result is a breathtaking, three-dimensional interpretation of "The Starry Night" that is truly unlike anything else.”
The Legacy of Vincent Van Gogh Preserved
Of course, the story behind "The Starry Night" painting is just as fascinating as Zukic's ambitious landscape project. Painted in June 1889, the work depicts the view from the east-facing window of Van Gogh's room at an asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France. At the time, the troubled Dutch Post-Impressionist artist was struggling with his mental health, having recently checked himself into the shelter after infamously cutting off part of his own ear.
For some background, the Dutch painter is considered one of the greatest Post-Impressionists. Born in 1853, he is, in the same way, considered one of the world's greatest artists, despite remaining virtually unknown and humble for most of his life. His artistic career was rather short-lived, lasting only about 10 years from 1880 to 1890. Before this, he had various occupations, including being an art dealer, a language teacher, a lay preacher, a bookseller, and a missionary worker.
Largely self-taught, Van Gogh produced more than 2,000 oil paintings, watercolor works, drawings, and sketches. He also wrote scores of letters, especially to his brother Theodorus ‘Theo’ Van Gogh who was a Dutch art dealer. In the letters, he worked out his thoughts about art. “The Starry Night” is one of his most famous paintings. The mid-scale, oil-on-canvas painting is dominated by a moon- and star-filled night sky. It takes up three-quarters of the picture plane and appears turbulent, with intensely swirling patterns that seem to roll across its surface like waves.
Beneath this expressive sky sits a hushed village of humble houses surrounding a church, whose steeple rises sharply above the undulating blue-black mountains in the background. A curved black cypress tree sits in the foreground on the right of this night scene. With its flame-lie edges, the tree stretches skywards from the bottom of the canvas; a visual link between the ground and the starry night sky. The painting is based on Van Gogh's direct observations, imagination, memories, and often tumultuous emotions. But in this night sky image, he heralded modern painting's new embrace of mood, expression, symbol, and sentiment.
Photo by @maxaltoman
Even so, despite the personal turmoil, "The Starry Night" remains an unmatched demonstration of Van Gogh's artistic knack and technical prowess. While the painting was created at night, Van Gogh actually executed it over several daytime sessions, using his imagination to conjure the village in the foreground, which could not be seen from his window.
A Retreat for the Senses Paying Tribute to Van Gogh's Legacy
Back to the park, Zukic's ambitious landscape project aims to honor Van Gogh’s legacy. It offers those who visit it an opportunity to submerse themselves in Van Gogh's world reimagined through his masterpiece. From afar—especially above—the undulating fields of lavender and winding paths bring to mind the muted tones of Van Gogh's painting. Up close, the vivid hues and textures come alive, resonating with the brilliant blues, yellows, and greens of the florae.
But then again the park is more than just a visual spectacle. Zukic visualizes it as a holistic retreat where visitors can also immerse themselves in the magnificent natural surroundings of the hilly landscape and meadows and find a sense of peace and reflection there. Alongside the park itself, the larger 172-acre Starry Night Retreat Center, which opens in May 2025, also offers various programs and activities that celebrate the cultural heritage of central Bosnia.
Halim Zukic:
"I see this retreat as a unique space where nature and art come together profoundly. Whether it's simply wandering the labyrinthine pathways, taking in the sights and scents of the lavender fields, or participating in the retreat's holistic programming, “The Starry Night” park promises to be a truly transformative experience for all who visit.”
Thus, with the park, Zukic succeeds in bringing Van Gogh's iconic vision to life on a much more impressive, natural scale. He creates a therapeutic space that beckons one to step into the famous Dutch Post-Impressionist artist's shoes and experience the magnificence of the natural world as envisioned by a true master.
Photos by @starrynightretreat.bh, and @alminijum
