Picasso. Buntownik w Paryżu – Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art

Made on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the artist’s death, the film Picasso: A Rebel in Paris – Story of a Life and a Museum by Simona Risi is a portrait of a life fulfilled but also formed of contradictions; a documentary journey through years of poverty and huge success, light and darkness, passion and destruction, café brawls and political involvement.

With one suitcase and not a word in French is how the young Pablo decided to conquer Paris. The film focuses on the years spent in the inspiring city, which became a second home for the painter from Malaga. As a Spanish immigrant, he was targeted by the police; as a revolutionary artist, he quickly conquered the salons. His style continued to evolve, he painted intensely and was reluctant to part with his works. ‘I am my own best collector,’ he used to say, and the 5,000 objects belonging to him today form the priceless collection of the Picasso Museum in Paris. The film gives us a unique opportunity to visit the major exhibition organised there to mark the 50th anniversary of the artist’s death, with a set design co-created by the British designer Paul Smith.

Risi’s documentary is also a portrait of Paris under transformation and a landscape of the twentieth century that Picasso shaped, at the same time being an insightful chronicler of a turbulent era. With the help of experts and curators, Picasso: A Rebel in Paris – Story of a Life and a Museum deciphers the symbolism hidden in the artist’s work and explains how the different experiences and encounters influenced the evolution of his style. But the genius also had his dark side, as evidenced by the memoirs of his female partners. The film also takes a critical look at Pablo Picasso’s biography and work, reminding us that often behind the spectacular career of the ‘great man’ are forgotten or underestimated women.

Pablo Picasso was a titan of work and a volcano of creativity who not only blurred the lines between art and craft, but was also able to turn a simple brush, watering can or bicycle into a piece of art. He remains one of the most important and influential artists in history, the author of over twenty thousand paintings and objects.