The Island

Dutch artist Erik van Lieshout wishes he could disappear – from the art world and from society itself. So he has withdrawn to an unnamed island in an artificial lake near the German city of Dortmund. No one is actually allowed to stay there, but as part of an art event an exception is made for Van Lieshout to live there for a while. The island becomes his temporary studio, and Ahmed, a Syrian refugee, joins him as his ad hoc assistant. From behind and in front of the camera, Van Lieshout talks to us in his own inimitable way, one we know from earlier films such as the one about him running a store in a Rotterdam mall or visiting a refugee reception center. The result treads the line between personal statement, stream of consciousness and chaotic lecture. Humor is an important ingredient, and is often served up in the form of self-deprecation. But the conclusion is a serious one: it’s impossible to disappear. Living on his island, the artist is more visible than ever, despite all efforts at camouflaging himself.