introduction: Noa Rosenberg, Curator of Modern Art, Tel Aviv Museum of Art

This fascinating art thriller isn’t “based on a true story” but instead is a meticulously researched documentary. Set in 1964 against the backdrop of the Cold War, the film tells the story of how the U.S. government decided an American artist should win the Grand Prize at the Venice Biennale, and initiated a secret operation to achieve that goal. The chosen artist is Robert Rauschenberg; he hadn’t yet won over the conservative art establishment, in part because he and his partner, Jasper Johns, were way ahead of their time: They experimented with unique materials, created a new pictorial language, and had a stormy and public romance.

A team including curators and an art dealer made their way to Venice, the U.S. military helped transport the works, an American representative was placed on the jury, and an unprecedented P.R. campaign was launched. Rauschenberg won the Grand Prize but it left everyone wondering if the success belonged to him or to those behind the scenes, and he later expressed reservations about the government’s plan. Perhaps the silver lining is that their unnecessary efforts turned the story of his award into an absorbing film.

Before or after the screening you may visit exhibition “Ruth Patir: Motherland”. The project was created for the Israeli Pavilion at the 60th International Art Exhibition at the Venice Biennale, which remained closed. The project now debuts at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art