"Exactly, a Total Work of Art!"

The short film “Exactly, a Total Work of Art!”, based upon four weeks of multi-sited ethnographic research across three art establishments in Berlin, delves into the themes of loneliness, the artistic nature of the city, and art as a facilitator for community in a metropolitan centre of contemporary art. With the continuing rapid development of large urban environments like Berlin that contribute to what mass media has dubbed ‘The Loneliness Epidemic’, loneliness has come to pose a major threat to public health. However, in resisting this problem, artistic microcosms – like those centred in the film – have emerged to foster antithetical ways of living for its community members, and to produce community-centred-art that negates the idea of the ‘lone genius’. The layered nature of Berlin’s art scene, as explored through the visual representation of its palimpsest character, underscores the importance of open dialogue between creators, whilst highlighting community and interconnection as inherent qualities of artistic practice.

This short film subjects artistic microcosms where artists seek out and create safe havens, uniting communities through art production and display whilst combating the growing threat of loneliness. Through the creation of her first ethnographic film, Eilidh Gilmour uses the medium to both deepen relationships with her interlocutors through shared artistic practice, as well as to bring the ethnographic field to the viewer in an accessible and engaging way. The film comes to parallel the community-centred artistic practices it explores, embodying creativity, multi-sensory expression and the use of collaboration.