Opening Night
The End of Fear

Part of Panorama Europe 2018
Friday, May 4, 2018, 7:00 p.m.
Museum of the Moving Image - Redstone Theater

With director Barbara Visser in person and András Szántó, Ph.D., followed by discussion and opening reception

Presented by the Dutch Culture USA program by the Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York, and supported by the EU Policy & Outreach Partnership (EU POP) of the Delegation of the European Union to the United States 

Netherlands. Dir. Barbara Visser. 2018, 70 mins. Digital projection. In Dutch and English with English subtitles. New York premiere. Part art history deep dive, part investigative thriller, this engrossing experimental documentary delves into one of the most contentious art world scandals of the twentieth century. In 1986 in Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum, abstract expressionist giant Barnett Newman’s massive color field masterpiece Who’s Afraid of Red, Yellow and Blue III (1966–1970) was slashed in an act of anti-modernist vandalism. The painting would be subject to further mistreatment by a highly controversial restoration that left many asking: Is the result still the work of Newman? Mixing archival footage and audio with the firsthand accounts of those involved in the incident, Barbara Visser crafts a formally inventive, philosophically heady consideration of what makes art art. The post-film discussion with Barbara Visser will be joined by András Szántó, Ph.D., writer, researcher, and consultant in the fields of art, media, and philanthropy.

Tickets: $15 ($11 seniors and students / $9 youth (ages 3–17) / free for children under 3 and Museum members at the Film Lover and Kids Premium levels and above). Order tickets online. (Members may contact [email protected] with questions regarding online reservations.)

Ticket purchase includes same-day admission to the Museum (see gallery hours). View the Museum’s ticketing policy here. For more information on membership and to join online, visit our membership page.