Special program "Embodiments of Art"  

A film-puzzle Exit through the Gift Shop that caused a sensation at Sundance film festival tells a story about the world’s best-known graffiti artist Banksy. The film is presented as a documentary but at the same time it is an adventure, a playing with the truth that made so many viewers to actually question its realness. The film follows a somewhat eccentric but amiable Frenchman Thierry Guetta who, as it is revealed, videotapes everything. Introduced to the world of graffiti through a cousin, he goes on documenting the otherwise ephemeral works by street artists and so decides to find the enigmatic Banksy. Guetta and Banksy, however, soon swap their roles as a wanted character takes control of the camera and becomes a narrator himself – or so we are told. Quoting Banksy, “it is a film about a man who wanted to film the impossible and just lost it out.” Whether Exit Through the Gift Shop is real or not may be a moot subject. But it certainly asks real questions: about the value of authenticity, about what it means to be a superstar in a subculture built on shunning the mainstream and about how sensibly that culture judges and monetizes talent.

Festivals

Sundance International Film Festival, USA (2010)
Berlin Film Festival, Germany (2010)
The Cans Street Art festivalį, UK (2010)

Banksy

Although no one knows the real name of British street artist Banksy it would not be far from the mark to call him one of the most influential contemporary artists. His works are scattered all across the globe, from Disneyland and wrecked houses of New Orleans to the concrete wall of Gaza. He was the one who went to the Metropolitan and secretly inserted his own works among the works of masters. The canvas this partisan of art paints on is the streets of modern cities; his works oppose consumerism, war, and the mental poverty of the rich. Talking about Exit through the Gift Shop Banksy admitted to having wanted to make such a film that would encourage every pupil to take paints and challenge oneself to draw graffiti. Banksy has already proved that street art is not necessarily an act of vandalism - on the contrary, it may be a response to vandalism whether it be political, spiritual or something else.