Bauhaus Spirit: 100 Years of Bauhaus

The history and influence of the German art school Bauhaus, founded by Walter Gropius in Weimar in 1919 (but later moved to Dessau and then Berlin—until being closed as a result of Nazi pressure in 1933), are chronicled in filmmakers Niels Bolbrinker and Thomas Tielsch’s expansive but rather meandering documentary. Bauhaus Spirit describes the mixture of imagination and utility that animated Gropius’s vision of a place where art, architecture, design, painting, and sculpture could be combined into a multi-disciplinary whole. The purpose was not merely theoretical: the school aimed to foster a progressive movement in which form and function would complement one another in the task of fashioning a better world—one that was both more livable and more emotionally engaging (the development of modernist style in general was strongly influenced by the Bauhaus movement). The filmmakers point out that many artists, architects, and social planners have been inspired by Bauhaus, including planners of contemporary school campuses and designers of affordable housing initiatives around the globe. Although the directors’ enthusiasm sometimes threatens to overwhelm the structure, this will likely appeal to those already acquainted with (and appreciative of) the Bauhaus spirit. A generally worthy centennial celebration of the widespread impact that Bauhaus has had on art, culture, and society, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)