The whole time I was watching this film I felt like I was waiting for it to start, or to make its point, or something. And then it ended, and I was left feeling “huh”. But in an interested way.
It tells the story Christian, the curator of a modern art museum in Stockholm. Early in the film he stops in a public square hearing someone call for help. He and another man attempt to help, but it turns out it is a scam and he is robbed, losing his wallet, mobile phone and cufflinks. This is a great story for him to tell, but he also becomes slightly obsessed with getting his property back, and yet we never see him go to the police…
At the same time a marketing company have been hired by the museum to try and generate some press for their newest exhibition “the square” where everyone is supposed to be compassionate and recognise everyone else’s humanity and right to exist. Being an ad company they decide the best way to get people interested is through controversy and “subverting” what you expect. Christian, distracted by his schemes to get his property back gives an inappropriate as the go ahead and that goes about as well as might expect.
I could go on with more incidents, because this is a long film, and in many ways it feels like a whole host of ideas mashed together, from the surreal arguments over who gets to throw away a used condom1 to a woman living with a chimpanzee, to art installations and performance art there is a lot going on.
And possible all to say that you art people are so up your own arses you don’t know whats real in the world. Which is possibly true.
I mean, to me a lot of modern art is just plain bad. I have very little regard for most installations I’ve seen, and performance art has never been my cup of tea. But I don’t agree with those who say that isn’t art, I just think it is bad, and not worth wasting my time and thoughts over.
In conclusion this film is boring and intriguing and full of nonsense and interesting/provocative notions.
in case its contents end up in the wrong hands… ↩
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