Rineke Dijkstra, [still from] I See A Woman Crying (Weeping Woman) 2009
I attended the Rineke Dijkstra Retrospective at the Guggenheim recently. The highlight of the exhibition [for me] was the video piece, I see a Woman Crying (Weeping Woman). In this film, Dijkstra explores the direct effect art has on us, by engaging a group of school children from Holland to discuss their reactions and interpretations of Picasso’s Weeping Woman. The unfiltered children stream out their innocent (and occasionally incredibly wise) explanations of the work, mostly focusing on why the woman is crying. It is ridiculously entertaining, as they hypothesize all kinds of scenarios, from just finding out her husband died in a car crash, to perhaps she is a ghost that came back and found out that everyone has forgotten her, or the possibility that she is utterly lonely. Midway through, their conversation shifts as they wonder if maybe she is crying tears of happiness. (Again, adorableness ensues as they think maybe she just won Xfactor, got a new sports car or her husband just came home from war.) But again, the possibilities get exhausted and the piece comes full circle as they decide she must be just deeply sad. You can watch this piece (in awful quality below)
Picasso, Weeping Woman 1937
Read more about Rineke Dijkstra HERE.
The Guggenheim’s ramps were closed for the installation of their [boring] blockbuster Picasso Black & White Exhibition opening early next month, but I welcomed the rare opportunity to see the glorious rotunda walls bare.
