383. Beyond The Visible - Hilma af Klint (Jenseits des Sichtbaren - Hilma af Klint); movie review

 

BEYOND THE VISIBLE - HILMA AF KLINT (JENSEITS DES SICHTBAREN - HILMA AF KLINT)

Cert U

94 mins

BBFC advice: Contains artistic nudity, very mild bad language

I love stories about discovery - particular the ones which change what has been taken as historical certainty.

Even today, a question to Google about the inventor of abstract art would come up with the answer Wassily Kandinsky.

However, as Halina Dyrschka's documentary proves - he was years behind Swedish artist Hilma Af Klint.

In her will, she left all her abstract paintings to her nephew, specifying that her work should be kept secret for at least 20 years after her death. 

When the boxes were opened at the end of the 1960s, very few people had knowledge of what would be revealed.

It transpires that af Klint devoured the world around her, bathing in spiritualism, modern science and the natural world.

They all influenced her huge, colourful, sensual, strange works.

I am not a huge fan of abstract art but my eye was certainly attracted to af Klint's paintings. They have a warmth whereas others leave me cold.

They complement the story of a woman who was out of step with the traditions of the time - an aristocrat who shunned the prospect of marriage.

Dyrschka's movie offers all that is known about Hilma af Klint because she left no diaries and there is little written record.

Of course, there is her art and Beyond The Visible seeks to piece together a credible narrative from evidence its makers could establish of where she must have been and people she must have known.

But the truth is that she was a great mystery. Her huge talent remained suppressed and her influences are presumed rather than confirmed.

All of this adds up to the intoxicating development of a legend.

Reasons to watch: Unveils an artist who was ahead of her field

Reasons to avoid: It is quite academic

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: Artistic nudity

Overall rating: 7/10

Did you know? Hilma af Klint was a founder and member of “The Five,” (Den Fem) a group of women artists who were interested in spiritualism and regularly conducted séances. They believed that they received messages from spirits they called “High Masters” and recorded these transmissions in a shared book. 

The final word. Halina Dyrschka: "I went to the exhibition in Berlin, and I was speechless when I saw those paintings. Then I immediately thought … fantastic, and second I thought who is responsible that I’m living for such a long time on this planet and nobody has told me about it. That’s how the idea came for the film. I thought I have to make a film about this.”

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