Alfred Hitchcock is an icon of the film world, like the Beatles are to rock and pop. Often referred to as the greatest director of all time, the English filmmaker produced art for the masses, using avant-garde techniques and character psychology with universal relevance.
These factors ensure that his movies are now regarded as classics. But just like the hits of the Fab Four, his masterpieces suffer from being too familiar, lacking the impact they had on first release. The current exhibition at Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery explores Hitchcock's legacy and refreshes it by presenting the works of several artists inspired by the "Master of Suspense."
In the field of contemporary art, any medium is acceptable, including film. Popular cinema, however, differs from the kind of art you find in galleries because it usually carries a long story to which the artistic elements are subordinated. The works in this exhibition remove this burden of narrative, allowing the other elements of Hitchcock's art to come into focus.