In the European art tradition, the term «still life» refers to images of inanimate or motionless objects. In the vanitas subgenre, the depiction of inanimate items – often accumulations of earthly treasures and epicurean food arrangements – is supplemented by symbols of transience. This reference to the fleeting nature of earthly existence simultaneously contains an invitation to enjoy life: «Remember your mortality and seize the day!» Desirable commercial goods were also frequently integrated into still lifes, for example porcelain from China, which pointed to a high status and wealth. In addition, the genre generally served to demonstrate craftsmanship: the more illusionistic and realistic the painting was (in the sense of a trompe-l'œil), the higher the level of artistry.
The Oskar Reinhart Collection contains various still lifes that present everyday objects from bygone times in simple arrangements. Francisco de Goya’s
«Still Life with Three Salmon Steaks» is especially minimalistic: just three slices of salmon – isolated, raw, and bloody, without any further context. And yet, the painting has a strong effect, as it points to the act of killing the animal without depicting it directly. Perhaps it is precisely because of this indirect reference to the killing that the still life leaves a lasting impression – the horror unfolds in the viewers’ minds. Most likely, this was the effect intended by Goya – as a regime critic denounced by the authorities and constantly under surveillance, the painter sought ways to express his views indirectly.
The medium of film sometimes draws on traditional still life motifs, typically focusing on expressions of temporality. The symbolism of the vanitas genre is given new meaning, distorted, even negated. The objects in the selected short films function as metaphors, transferred from their original context of meaning to another context. Going beyond the boundaries of the representational, the resulting narratives gain clarity and richness of content.
«Nocturno para uma floresta» describes how monks in 15th-century Portugal built a wall around a forest to prevent women from entering – but there are no borders in the invisible world. «Souvenir» is about the totemic power of souvenirs that sailors brought back from long journeys to the farthest corners of the earth. In «Living Still Live», a woman brings dead animals back to life through photographs – until one day, a widower knocks on her door. «The Living Need Light, the Dead Need Music» is a visual and musical journey through the eccentric funeral traditions of southern Vietnam.
A referential act of pointing elsewhere characterizes these films. They explore the boundaries of life and death, touch on mortality and transience, then suddenly pause again. They experiment with motifs like stillness and motion, the visible and invisible, telling stories that point far beyond themselves.
Curated by John Canciani and Ivana Frigo
