If you want to know how the definition of “scandal” has changed with the decades, you couldn’t do much better than to see “Taking Venice,” Amei Wallach’s highly enjoyable and revealing documentary about a legendary uproar in the art world. The film chronicles what happened at the 1964 Venice Biennale — the exhibition of contemporary art, held every two years, that culminates in the awarding of an esteemed grand prize. At the time, the Biennale was considered to be a kind of art-world equivalent of the Olympic Games. Not just artists but the nations they represented were jockeying for cultural supremacy. In the ’50s and early ’60s, the grand prize often went to the French, but in 1964 the U.S. decided to mount a campaign of “cultural diplomacy” in the hopes that one of its own artists — Robert Rauschenberg — would win the Biennale.
Rauschenberg’s mixed-media paintings, known as “combines,...
Rauschenberg’s mixed-media paintings, known as “combines,...
- 5/31/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
"Is it your theory not to have a theory?" Zeitgeist Films has revealed an official trailer for a documentary film called Taking Venice, a remarkable true story from art history. This premiered at Doc NYC last year and is opening in limited theaters starting in May. The film received critical acclaim at the 2023 Rome Film Festival, Sao Paulo Film Festival, and Fort Lauderdale Festival. The documentary uncovers the true story behind rumors that the 1964 Venice Biennale was rigged – by the U.S. Government and a team of highly placed insiders – so that their chosen artist, Robert Rauschenberg, would win the grand prize. "This fun caper movie explores the true story behind the rumors... With an extraordinary cast of experts and insiders from the art world and extensive archival footage, the [doc] reveals the plans of ambitious curator Alan Solomon and pioneering art dealer Leo Castelli to win the 1964 Grand Prize for American...
- 4/2/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Exclusive: Zeitgeist Films, in association with Kino Lorber, has acquired North American rights to filmmaker and art critic Amei Wallach’s Taking Venice, a doc that explores the rumored rigging of the 1964 Venice Biennale.
Taking Venice will make its North American premiere at Doc NYC on November 10, followed by a theatrical release from Zeitgeist in spring 2024 alongside an educational, home video, and digital release on all major platforms by Kino Lorber.
With expert interviews and extensive archival footage, Taking Venice uncovers the true story behind rumors that the U.S. government and a team of high-placed insiders rigged the 1964 Venice Biennale so their chosen artist, Robert Rauschenberg, could win the grand prize.
Full Synopsis reads: At the height of the Cold War, the U.S. State Department was determined to fight communism with culture, setting its sights on the 1964 Venice Biennale. They engaged the help of high-profile art insiders, including art...
Taking Venice will make its North American premiere at Doc NYC on November 10, followed by a theatrical release from Zeitgeist in spring 2024 alongside an educational, home video, and digital release on all major platforms by Kino Lorber.
With expert interviews and extensive archival footage, Taking Venice uncovers the true story behind rumors that the U.S. government and a team of high-placed insiders rigged the 1964 Venice Biennale so their chosen artist, Robert Rauschenberg, could win the grand prize.
Full Synopsis reads: At the height of the Cold War, the U.S. State Department was determined to fight communism with culture, setting its sights on the 1964 Venice Biennale. They engaged the help of high-profile art insiders, including art...
- 11/14/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
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