Doc/Fest Blog
Mark Lombardi: Death-defying Acts of Art and Conspiracy - Amy Garrod
By Hussain Currimbhoy 14 June, 2012
Youth Jury proceedings are in full swing. We’ve seen so much already, and there’s still so much to go! Yesterday we had the pleasure of watching DEATH-DEFYING ACTS OF ART AND CONSPIRACY, a doc about the artist Mark Lombardi.
Lombardi described himself as a researcher, fascinated by information. During his lifetime, he expressed information he felt was important using clear mind maps, uncovering links between international financiers, politicians and terrorist organisations. This is surely the perfect subject for documentary, given that for me, documentary making aims to portray information in a new and insightful way in order for the audience (and the film maker) to gain more from it.
DEATH-DEFYING ACTS OF ART AND CONSPIRACY documents Lombardi's lifestyle and work processes, in addition to covering some of the vast amount information that can be gained from the works of art themselves. An excellent watch, no matter what your prior knowledge of Lombardi is.
This film comes at a perfect time when many are beginning to question the uses and abuses of power by the 1%. Here is a person who was investigating these relationships during the nineties, documenting corruption and scandal at the highest level. By reprocessing public information, Lombardi was able to shed new light on financial and political fraud, as well as creating beautiful info-graphics. So useful and perceptive his work was, the FBI referred his work during investigations into the financing of 9/11 a year after his death.
Lombardi’s art expressed extremely important information, mapping out power relations throughout the world in such a clear and succinct way. I certainly could do with one of his drawings to navigate through the rest of the weekend’s schedule!
[Amy Garrod is sitting on this year’s Youth Jury.]