During my visit to the Hirshhorn Museum this weekend, I found my way to the black box theater one floor below the main entrance; what I found there was a film installation by Phoebe Greenberg titled "Next Floor". The 12-minute film is a lavish depiction of gluttony and indulgence at its tragic finest. Equipt with an endless amount of food and servants, the guests of a regel dinner party are treated to fine cuisine until their weight overwhelms the structure and they plummet to the next floor. Floor by floor, the guests continue to indulge until their weight sends them descending into an endless black hole. While the film has been compared to everything from Peter Newell's The Rocket Book to traditional dutch stills of food, it's hard to miss the obvious parallels to the contemporary political climate.
I was particularly struck by this installation because of the grotesque imagery and the unavoidable comparassion to American culture. Irony and dark humor combined with rich details and tangeble videography to create an incredibly memorable piece with a powerful message. Art that can make you feel these elements is always worth noting.
Finally, I found Greenberg's film has generated controversy about the thin line between art and film. As a student who studies both art and film, I find it interesting when films trascend one genre into another. Is film always art or are the rules less black and white?
Greenberg's film won Best Short Film at Cannes in 2008. Find time to check it out before it closes up shop on April 11, 2010!
Post by Kate Galliers
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