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| Von Wedemeyer Clemens, Schweizer Maya The work entitled Metropolis, Report from China created by Clemens von Wedemeyer and Maya Schweizer, derives from the material collected during their journey to China in 2004, where they travelled in order to examine the possibility of re-shooting the Fritz Lang classic movie. Their interest swings towards the modern building outbreak as noted in the cities of Beijing and Shanghai, which are presented as models of urban regeneration, as the paradise of architectural utopia for designers with great imagination. In an attempt to disrupt and individualise this enormous project, Clemens and Maya concentrate on the fundamental production forces, the people who work at the buildings under construction -architects and workers- encouraging them to talk about the real conditions of work, everyday life, their dreams and expectations. The personal narratives allow us to realise the repercussions of the extensive real estate business on the social and economic structure of the Chinese society following the dashing forces of capitalism and the unmanageable development of the market. The imposing architectural compositions -which reflect the emerging financial power- dominate only on a first level. The hidden city of the workers lies under the surface and out of sight on a masterly balance between the massive character of the urban space and the micro scale of living conditions. Intermittently, between the various snapshots of China of the 21st century, the eye is captured by scenes from the original Metropolis of 1927, scenes masterly integrated in the core of the play. The vision of the city of the future, as reflected in cinema, literature, theatre and in the visual arts during the interwar period, demonstrates dreary aspects of the present and appears as a parody. Are we actually witnessing the scenery of an extreme capital fetishism that transforms businessmen and city planners into esthètes collectors of architectural miracles? The question is imposed in the end of the movie, in a comparative juxtaposition of the prime with the modern Metropolis while repetition acquires an absurd dimension. Syrago Tsiara  Download CV |  Metropolis, Report from China, 200 |
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