Thomas Hirschhorn – Gramsci Monument
Angelo A. Lüdin, doc., 94 min., CH 2015
In the summer of 2013, the Swiss artist Thomas Hirschhorn realized the Gramsci Monument at Forest Houses, a housing development in the Bronx. The monument to the Italian philosopher Antonio Gramsci is the fourth and final work in his series of «monuments» dedicated to major writers and thinkers, which initiated in 1999 with Spinoza Monument (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) and was followed by Deleuze Monument (Avignon, France) in 2000 and Bataille Monument (Kassel, Germany) in 2002. At Forest Houses, local residents built the structure with the artist and worked at the café-bar and managed the archive and the library that were part of the project. They also edited a newspaper, organized field trips and operated a radio station.
Angelo Lüdin’s documentary follows Thomas Hirschhorn and the residents of Forest Houses through the various stages of this exciting adventure. The film shows what happens at the site, but it also delves into the stories and lives of the residents, tracing the different realities, life concepts and cultural identities. In addition, the director observes if and how working at or visiting the monument is changing people’s perception of art, the community and themselves.
The Gramsci Monument is part of a series of works that Hirschhorn realized in economically tenuous urban districts. Thus, people who usually might not visit museums and galleries get involved in art and philosophy. At the same time, the art elite is confronted with an environment that they may only know from hearsay. This constellation prompts surprising encounters and bears the potential for manifold conflicts.
By spending weeks or even months at the sites, Thomas Hirschhorn shows an uncompromising commitment to these works, exposing himself to the reactions of the neighbors and the wider public. He gets involved in discussions and debates, organizes lectures or stages plays. Hirschhorn’s work is polarizing. In the past, his art sometimes caused heated disputes: In 2004, his Paris show «Swiss-Swiss Democracy» even led to an upheaval in the Swiss Parliament.
«Thomas Hirschhorn – Gramsci Monument» is an unusual look at the work of a well-known and important contemporary artist.
Thomas Hirschhorn’s «Gramsci Monument» was commissioned by the DIA Art Foundation, New York.
Festivals
Nomination Prix de Soleure, Solothurner Filmtage 2015, Switzerland
Nomination Basel Film Award, 2015, Switzerland
Duisburger Filmwoche, 2015, Germany
Kasseler Dokfest, 2015, Germany
Schermo dell’arte, 2015, Florence, Italy
La Biennale di Venezia, Salon Suisse, 2015, Italy
Bergamo Film Meeting, 2015, Italy
SF Urban Film Fest, 2015, San Francisco, USA
Copenhagen Architecture Festival, 2016, Denmark
Doku.Arts, Architectures in Motion, 2015, Berlin, Germany
Notti di Mezza Estate, Lo schermo dell’arte, 2017, Florence, Italy
Hello Wood, International Festival for Art and Architecture, Budapest, Hungary
FILAF, Festival international du livre d’art et du film, 2015, Perpignan, France
Rely, Incontri del Terzo Luogo, 2018, Lecce, Italy
Ekrani i Artit, 2018, Shkoder, Albania
Festival Les Ecrans Documentaires, 2015, Gentilly, France
What the critics say
«This electrifying portrait shows in all its nuances the extent to which (Hirschhorn) takes Gramsci at face value. (…) We are presented with an artist who is infinitely demanding and at times even ruthless, but all in the service of an art that is the antithesis of patronizing – and which for this very reason becomes a political act, and a slice of social utopia as well. This is made all the more obvious when a (white) visitor expresses her doubts about the «Gramsci Monument» with a degree of cultural arrogance: If she views the neighborhood residents in this way, she has to ask herself whether they would even have access to Gramsci’s concept of hegemony. This woman did not understand what it means to make art political. She should watch this film.»
Florian Keller, WoZ, Zurich
«With «Thomas Hirschorn – Gramsci Monument», Basel-based filmmaker Angelo A. Lüdin has succeeded in crafting an astonishingly sensitive film about an uncompromising artist. (…) Lüdin’s camera gathers together the most disparate moments, approaches each person involved with the same care and respect. (…) The unexpected moments are therefore also the film’s most exciting and beautiful ones. Like when one of the residents, after searching for the right word for what he wants to describe, triumphantly says «Philanthrop» into the camera. Or, at the end of the film, when two elderly women wearing white fabric hats list off what Hirschorn has taught them about Gramsci. As well as mentioning how they would now have the time to organize the notes they would have taken everyday so that they could pass these on to their children and grandchildren at a later date.And you realize that Hirschhorn has really managed to create something special here.»
Karen N. Gerig, TagesWoche, Basel
«Director Angelo Alfredo Lüdin, cameraman Pio Corradi and editor Miriam Krakenberger have succeeded in making a film that entertainingly illuminates the «Gramsci Monument» adventure. They do not offer their own commentary. (…) The film is neither a glorification of Thomas Hirschhorn nor does it take him apart»
Sabine Altorfer, Nordwestschweiz, Aarau/Basel
The film’s official website
Watch film
A soap factory production in co-production with Schweizer Fernsehen SRF und SRG SSR
Writer, director: Angelo A. Lüdin
English and Swiss German original version, English, German, French subtitles, DCP. Theatrical version: 94 min.
Thomas Hirschhorn’s «Gramsci Monument» was commissioned by the DIA Art Foundation, New York.
World Sales: Windrose, Pauline Mazenod, pmazenod(a)windrose.fr
Distribution Switzerland: cineworx
Crew
Producer: Frank Matter
Writer, director: Angelo A. Lüdin
DOP: Pio Corradi
Location Sound: Olivier JeanRichard
With: Thomas Hirschhorn, Erik Farmer and many more
Additional Camera: Reinhard Manz, Angelo A. Lüdin, Leland Krane
Additional Sound Recordings: Nicola Bellucci, Eric Perez
Location Managers: Frank Matter, Mary Bosakowski
Production Office: Loredana-Nastassja Fernández
Production Assistant: Tuula Lou Kimberley Rasmussen
Editing: Mirjam Krakenberger
Composer: Fidelio Lippuner
Sound Editing, Sound Design, Mixing: Peter von Siebenthal, Projektstudio GmbH, Bern
Sound Coordination, Technical Advisor: Pedro Haldemann, himex:sounddesign, Solothurn
Video Studio, Visual Effects, Color Grading: Ueli Müller, Peter Guyer, RecTv
Titles, Graphic Design: Dirk Koy, Equipo Visuelle Kommunikation
SRF/Pacte: Urs Augstburger
Sternstunde Kunst: Denise Chervet
National Coordinator: Sven Wälti
Video Equipment: point de vue, Basel
Sound Equipment: Insert Film, Solothurn
Project Accountant: Marcel Pfeiffer
Translations, Subtitles: Manuela Vonwiler, ZAXAPH
Financial Support
Bundesamt für Kultur, EDI, Schweiz
Fachausschuss Audiovision und Multimedia der Kantone Basel-Stadt und Basel-Landschaft
Kulturfonds SUISSIMAGE
SWISSLOS / Kulturförderung Kanton Graubünden
Succès passage antenne
Succès Cinéma