Mark Lombardi – Kunst und Konspiration
Mark Lombardi – Death Defying Acts of Art and Conspiracy
Mareike Wegener
On October 17th 2001, Joe Amrhein, director of a small gallery in Brooklyn, received an alarming call. While investigating the 9/11 attacks, an FBI agent became interested in the whereabouts of a particular drawing by artist Mark Lombardi. The piece was currently being displayed at the Whitney Museum.
Since the early 90’s, Lombardi has worked on large-sized drawings, a series of detailed, handcrafted diagrams that he referred to as »narrative structures«. Circles, arrows and lines connect names and axes display time lapses. From a distance these reduced forms assemble into an aesthetic whole. But from a close range these networks reveal disturbing facts about economical affairs, political involvements, conspiracies and global corporate crime. The artworks in question is called BCCI-ICIC & FAB, 1972-91and will supposedly help uncover intelligence regarding the 9/11 attacks. The piece itself shows detailed information about the Bin Laden family and the US banking system. This is the first time in history that a piece of art is being used as an information source in an investigation on this scale. Lombardi himself couldn’t be questioned at this point. In March of 2000, the artist was found dead in his studio.
The film unravels a haunting search for facts and fiction. Based on the obsession of an artist, the film focuses on our media-affected times, characterized by information overload and lowdown density, but still leaves enough space from which »narrative structures« can evolve. This documentary deals with the dysfunctions of our economic system that perpetuates global crises, while concentrating on the fascinating life and work of Mark Lombardi himself.
Mareike Wegener
Mareike Wegener was born in 1983 in Borken, Germany, and studied film at the Cologne Academy of Media Arts. In 2008, she gained a diploma with distinction for her full-length documentary film Al Hansen – The Matchstick Traveller. During her studies, she won a scholarship in 2007 to New School, New York. There she studied documentary media studies, under Oscar award-winner Cynthia Wade, among others. Since 2008, Wegener has worked as a freelance author, director and film editor. Her project Mark Lombardi – Kunst und Konspiration was awarded the Gerd-Ruge scholarship in 2009. Since 2011, Mareike Wegener has also been studying philosophy at the European Graduate School in Switzerland.
Films by Mareike Wegener
Al Hansen – The Matchstick Traveller 2008