Alreadymade

Fountain by Marcel Duchamp, considered one of the most influential artworks of the 20th century, is a ceramic urinal signed “R. Mutt” that was anonymously submitted to an exhibition by the Society of Independent Artists in New York in 1917. Barbara Visser explores the history of this iconic piece, the original of which may no longer exist, and investigates theories attributing the work to Dadaist artist Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven (1874–1927). Using the scarce archival material available on her, and with the help of an actress and digital animation technologies, the director stages the film’s production process, showing how artists, art historians, and herself become puppets in the power play of the art market. In Alreadymade, originality, authorship, and identity are questioned, much like Fountain did a century ago. The film offers a reflection on what transforms an object into art. We thank Pordenone Docs Fest for the collaboration.