Zeitgeist Films Releases 'Beyond the Visible Hilma AF Klint'

Image: “The Swan No. 17” by Hilma af Klint © Stiftelsen Hilma af Klints Verk

Hilma af Klint was an abstract artist before the term existed, a visionary, trailblazing figure who, inspired by spiritualism, modern science, and the riches of the natural world around her, began in 1906 to reel out a series of huge, colorful, sensual, strange works without precedent in painting.

Hilma af Klint. As seen in Beyond the Visible, a film by Halina Dyrschka.

The subject of a recent smash retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum, af Klint was for years an all-but-forgotten figure in art historical discourse, before her long-delayed rediscovery. Director Halina Dryschka’s dazzling, course correcting documentary describes not only the life and craft of af Klint, but also the process of her mischaracterization and erasure by both a patriarchal narrative of artistic progress and capitalistic determination of artistic value. 

'Beyond the Visible' is a Zeitgeist Films release in association with Kino Lorber. It will open in virtual theaters across the country starting April 17. 

A few months later in Berlin I visited the exhibition “Hilma af Klint - A Pioneer of Abstraction” - and was speechless: exuberant colour compositions and over- dimensional paintings. I was standing in the middle of a hall surrounded by Hilma af Klint’s “Ten Largest”: Altogether 25 meters of paintings - 3,60 meters high. And beyond these paintings - a whole world.

But why have they been kept from me for so long? I almost felt personally insulted when I read that this was a new discovery and the paintings have been hidden for decades. Could that be true? Paintings in this size are hard to hide. And who would be interested in marginalizing this artist’s accomplishments? And why?

Starting the research immediately afterwards I discovered a very different picture of Hilma af Klint: not at all alone or lonely and not hiding her paintings from the world. Here was a woman who consequently followed her own path in life that led to a unique oeuvre. A strong character and despite all restrictions Hilma af Klint explored the possibilities that go beyond the visible. She knew that she was doing something important not only for herself but for many people.

It is more than time to tell the untold heroine stories. And there are many of them. This is one.

A scene from Beyond the Visible, a film by Halina Dyrschka.

This is a film about a truly successful life. A woman who was not dependent of the opinion of others and kept on going her very unique way of living and working. Dedicated to things that matter in everybody’s life: How do we want to live? How do we achieve a truly content and fulfilled life? And is that what we see real or do we just think it is real?

Hilma af Klint’s oeuvre goes even beyond art because she was looking for the whole picture of life. And with that she comes close to the one question: What are we doing here?