Troublemakers: the Story of Land Art

The film traces the history of Land Art through original footage and the stories of several of the movement’s protagonists: Robert Smithson, Walter De Maria, Michael Heizer, Dennis Oppenheim, Vito Acconci. They put the contradictions of modern culture into discussion and broke barriers between painting and sculpture to produce works on a monumental scale in the vast spaces of the USA’s Southwestern deserts, in which architecture, landscape, sculpture and photography converge. Their work still appears revolutionary, not only because it’s incompatible with gallery spaces, but because it’s in contrast to the laws of the marketplace, and goes against the canons of art. Director James Crump has produced a tribute to their courage, showing how the works’ natural settings have modified from their original positions, creating a dialogue between the artist and the natural world. Historical commentary by critic and curator Germano Celant.