Shchukin, Matisse, Dance and Music

Saw this short (under ten minute) installation* n Paris a couple of years back, since then it has been offered at a couple of other locations that are highlighting Matisse or presenting temporary showings of Monet, Cézanne, Matisse, Picasso and Gauguin.

Greenaway put this together along with his wife, Saskia Boddeke. it was refreshing to see top Greenaway work after his disturbingly uncritical film centering on Eisenstein, that completely missed Eisenstein's disgustingly sycophantic relationship with Joseph Stalin and his denouncing of fellow artists to Stalin, artist who were sent to fates of nurture and judicial murder, that make blacklisting though HUAC seem like nothing.

Greenaway and Boddeke's multi screen "Shchukin..." takes us to a more worthy subject, Sergey Shchukin, who did not merely directly support many artists through subsidizing their work, but kept his collections open to the public, where they in turn inspired many young artists.

Also of note, choreographer Juanjo Arques' dance piece in the installation simultaneously presented with Matisse's "Dance" is a perfectly poetic experience.

*Keep in mind it is an installation, not a film one can stream or rent.