"Mies On Scene. Barcelona in two acts" a Fundació Mies van der Rohe and Nihao Films production

Description of project by Fundació Mies van der Rohe / Nihao Films

The Barcelona Pavilion, the masterpiece with which Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich staged their revolutionary ideas in 1929, changed the History of architecture forever. It only existed for eight months but paradoxically its image was always alive in the minds of generations of architects around the world, becoming one of his greatest influences. 

The Pavilion is still surrounded by myths and mysteries that this documentary addresses, framing the building into a portrait in two acts of the Barcelona that made possible its construction in 1929 and its reconstruction in 1986. We immerse ourselves in a reflection on the transformative capacity of art, the emotional perception of space and the concept of masterpiece.

Director's statement

During the last nine years we have had the pleasure of filming the Barcelona Pavilion on numerous and varied occasions: video art, advertising spots or transformation interventions that artists like Ai Weiwei have made in this space. It is a scenario of endless perspectives, lights and reflections, a living building that changes at every hour of the day and at any season of the year. Each time you record it, the Pavilion surprises you with a new reflection or a new visual composition, and you discover that fourth dimension that Mies created with the game of materials and perspectives. A universe where the composition of each frame easily becomes art within art because the Pavilion generates and multiplies beauty. This documentary is a cinematographic essay within this space of Miesian architecture, at once abstract and rational,
finite and infinite.

Country of production.- Spain
Year of production.- 2018
Duration.- 58 minutes
Original languages.- English, Spanish, Catalan, German
Screening format.- DCP. Subtitles versions.- English, Spanish, Catalan
Format.- 16:9
Shot in.- Barcelona (Spain), New York (USA)
Production companies.- Nihao Films, Fundació Mies van der Rohe
Web.- www.miesonscene.com

Main characters

Fritz Neumeyer.- German architect, prestigious and passionate specialist in the work of Mies van der Rohe and the history of architecture. Author of the reference book “Mies van der Rohe, the artless word” (1986) among others. Professor of architectural theory at TU Berlin. He has taught at Harward, Santa Monica and several universities in Europe.

Eduardo Mendoza.- Spanish writer and good connoisseur of the history of Barcelona, he provides his vision of the city during the periods in which the Pavilion has existed. Cervantes Prize 2016 and Premio Planeta 2010 among others. His literary work is usually set in his native Barcelona. In his novel “The City of the Wonders” (1987), he makes a living portrait of the evolution of Barcelona between the universal exhibitions of 1888 and 1929, a fictionalized transcription of the collective memory of a generation of Barcelonians.

Barry Bergdoll.- Specialist in the history of modern architecture, especially in France and Germany. Professor of art history at Columbia University and curator of the Department of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, MoMA. He has organized a series of exhibitions designed to offer new perspectives on the figure of Mies van der Rohe, among which the exhibition “Mies in Berlin” (2001) stands out.

Xavier Rubert de Ventós.- Philosopher and writer, he gives us the counterpoint on the perception of art and the concept of masterpiece. Known as a cultural agitator in the rebirth of the Barcelona of the 80s and 90s and promoter of the Eu Prize for Contemporary Architecture - Mies van der Rohe Award. Professor of Aesthetics at the School of Architecture of Barcelona and professor at the universities of Berkeley, Harvard and New York. Author of an extensive essay and philosophical production of aesthetics, theory of culture and practical philosophy books.

Oriol Bohigas.- Architect, urban planner and professor. He is one of the most important characters in the transformation and modernization of Barcelona. He was the driving force behind the reconstruction of the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion and the person who chose the team that would carry it out. He was Director of the School of Architecture of Barcelona. In 1984, he was appointed Councilor for Town Planning at the City Council, from where he carried out the transformation planned for Barcelona on the occasion of the 1992 Olympic Games.

Fernando Ramos.- Professor at several architecture universities in Europe and director of the School of Architecture of Barcelona (1984-1991). He was part of the team that rebuilt the German Pavilion and recovered the original geometry of the Pavilion, which would allow to redo the plans for its reconstruction.

Cristian Cirici.- Architect and furniture, lighting and construction elements designer. He was part of the team that rebuilt the German Pavilion being in charge of the construction details. He was the founder of prestigious design companies and professor at architecture universities in Europe and the United States.

Martino Stierli.- The Philip Johnson Chief Curator of Architecture and Design at MoMA. Professor at the Art History Institute of the University of Zurich. His work focuses on the relationship between architecture, media and the representation of the modern space.

And the participation of: Paul Galloway, Isabel Bachs, Toni Mira, Jordi Marquès and the Pavilion’s visitors.

Festivals

Best Art Documentary.- Fresh Stream Experimental Film Festival 2018 - US
Official Selection.- Architecture + Design Film Festival Winnipeg 2018 - Canada
Official Selection.- DocsBarcelona International Documentary Film Festival 2018 - Spain