Meta Mecano

a film by Ruedi Gerber

"Everything I make is ephemeral." – Jean Tinguely

The Jean Tinguely Museum in Basel, Switzerland, designed by Mario Botta, opened in 1996, five years after the Swiss sculptor’s death. META MECANO is a poetic depiction of the genesis of this monographic museum, from the builders’ first plans and Mario Botta's designs to its construction and the assembly of Tinguely's fragile mobile sculptures. In interviews with Mario Botta, Tinguely’s wife Niki de Saint Phalle, museum director Pontus Hultén and Tinguely himself, the film goes on to explore the mission of museums and of art in general today. META MECANO is a unique document on the significance of the artist Jean Tinguely and on the role that museums play in our day and age.

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Festivals and Awards

1998 Festival International du Film d’Art Paris - Prix de la pédagogie architecturale

1997 Palm Springs International Film Festival

1997 | Switzerland | 64 min. | Documentary
Dialogue: Swiss German, French, German, Italian, English
Subtitles: English, Deutsch, Français

Cast
Jean Tinguely (Vintage footage), Mario Botta, Niki di Saint Phalle, Seppi Imhof, Pontus Hulten, Paul Sacher