METAMORFOSE VAN HET OBJECT (1910-1970 PSK BRUSSEL)

In 1971 the Palace of Fine Arts in Brussels presented an overview of modern and contemporary art at a large retrospective with sixty years of visual arts. The subtitle of the exhibition was Art and Anti-Art. It featured work by famous Belgian and international artists, including René Magritte, Man Ray, Marcel Duchamp and many others. The tone of Cornelis’ documentary is in first instance objective, informative and edifying. While a series of key works from the recent history of the avant-garde and contemporary art passes in front of the camera, Cornelis presents texts that explain about the importance of the works and the aim of the exhibition. But as the film continues, his tone changes and he starts to be critical of what he sees. He calls the perspective particularly narrow-minded. Furthermore, in his view dozens of artists and works are lacking at this retrospective.