When one thinks of a museum, often a sombre, cold sterile crypt of artefacts comes to mind. It’s hard to imagine the hustle and bustle of life in a museum – and this is exactly the kind of thinking The Great Museum changes.
Directed by Johannes Holzhausen, this elegant 95 minute documentary offers a privileged point of view into the busy inner workings of the Vienna’s museum of Art History (Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien) as it captures day-to-day routines as well as the staff’s numerous micro-dramas.
From departmental meetings where budgets and admission fees are debated, art restorers who painstakingly pore over the surface of oil paintings in search for insects and imperfections, to the gallery curator who maps out exactly where each work of art is placed in an exhibition, The Great Museum reveals just how much sweat goes into the preservation and display of works of art.
Following a loose narrative, The Great Museum is tied to the reopening of the Kunstkammer chamber. After being closed for 10 years, art from the Hasburg’s treasuries is put on display and viewers are treated to visually stunning shots of the sumptuous collection and the building that holds it.
Some are sure to find the documentary extremely slow – No off-screen commentaries or interviews and there are a lot of silent shots which feature museum workers carefully examining or transporting artefacts. But for those who can stomach such cinema, these curious moments are fascinating and often rife with subtle humour.
Great Museum is a must see for art-lovers, history buffs and people who like to know how things work.