The
«Portrait of a Cardinal» from the Oskar Reinhart Collection is the bust portrait of a high-ranking church official, probably Grand Inquisitor Don Fernando Niño de Guevara (1541–1609), whose
full-length portrait is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Tellingly, the painting in New York bears the signature of the artist, El Greco, on a crumpled sheet on the floor, at the Grand Inquisitor’s feet. These types of works were usually commissioned by the church, by aristocrats, or by otherwise rich and powerful figures, serving as prestigious symbols of power.
In the novella «El Greco Paints the Grand Inquisitor», Stefan Andres fictionalizes the history of this commissioned artwork, shedding light on the power structures behind it, especially the power imbalance between client and artist. Using the portrait as an example, the text explores artistic resistance to authorities as well as the aesthetic deconstruction of power relations.
Today, over 400 years after the painting was created, the topic remains as relevant as ever. Our film selection illuminates the phenomenon of power at various levels – whether political, sociocultural, or private. The world is permeated by power structures that are sometimes more, sometimes less visible. This programme, however, goes beyond the mere documentation of these structures, additionally focussing on their cinematic manifestations as acts of rebellion.
«Dreams about Putin» combines found footage and 3D game animation to explore the theme of oppression and a society’s collective unconscious. In «I Have Sinned a Rapturous Sin», fragments from Forugh Farrochzād’s poem «The Sin» are juxtaposed with statements by Islamic clerics advising women on how to control their lust. «Freedom & Independence» confronts quotes from Ayn Rand, the self-proclaimed philosopher of Objectivism, with evangelical content from US mainstream movies. «An Ecstatic Experience» is a cinematic meditation on transcendence as resistance. «45th Parallel» stages a monologue in a building that symbolizes the arbitrariness of borders, pondering spaces without social or legal restrictions. In «Starfuckers», the power relations within the film industry are revealed and turned upside down.
Unequal living conditions and unequally distributed resources are still the reality for most of humanity. The films in this programme address this imbalance: they question and challenge, offering impressive examples of aesthetic resistance.
Curated by John Canciani and Ivana Frigo
