Still Life: Ron Mueck at work

A small workshop in London. Through the chaotic surroundings emerges a deep conviction that you are in an exceptional place. Ron Mueck, a secretive artist, rarely accepts visitors, and a meeting with him always leaves an impression. His private nature cannot hide his immense sensitivity for long.

For two years, Gautier Deblonde regularly filmed the artist as he created three pieces for his new exhibition at the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain. Seeing Ron Mueck at work is intriguing, impressive, and surprising.

His few sculptures all depict men and women with familiar expressions. They are those of everyday life—a disturbing realism at the service of deeply moving art.

This isn’t a documentary about the artist’s techniques and craft. Rather, it seeks to find out why his creations are so popular in the world’s most prestigious museums. The film invites you to understand what the works are saying and to share the sensations you experience when confronted with an original representation of humankind.

This film is presented as part of the Hyperrealism. This Is Not a Body exhibition.