S
The documentary, which covers a week-long entrance examination at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, is both demanding and clever. It evokes the observational and cumulative approach of Frederick Wiseman, as filmmakers Adéla Komrzý and Tomáš Bojar delve into not only the individual participants, but also the behind-the-scenes workings of cultural establishments.
The initial phase of the test is intended to filter out less qualified candidates. This stage requires participants to create portraits of live models. The second round, on the other hand, presents more intriguing challenges. Along with a written exam on art history, applicants must also answer prompts related to topics like climate change. The film only shows brief glimpses of the resulting artwork, but the majority of screen time is dedicated to professors asking thought-provoking questions about the taboos and motivations behind creating art. These inquiries aim to challenge potential students to think beyond cliches and preconceived ideas about the lives of artists.
Although they may come across as blunt, the professors’ questioning is not meant to be a harsh criticism, but rather an invitation for intellectual discussion. It is impossible to reduce an artwork to measurable qualities. Instead, the teaching approach focuses on a candidate’s ability to clearly communicate their methodology and practice. Due to a shift away from direct and collective activism in artworks, some teachers attribute this trend to the fall of the USSR. This has led to Socratic thought exercises being used as a response to the rise of hyper-individualism among the new generation of artists. This raises the question of whether personal expression can still hold political significance if it is divorced from collective struggles. As viewers and audience members, this is a crucial question for us to reflect on as well.
Source: theguardian.com
