Pink Schlemmer

In 2024, an old 16 mm print of Man and Mask: Oskar Schlemmer and the Bauhaus Stage surfaced from storage at the Goethe-Institut Toronto. The 1969 dance film is an interpretation of Oskar Schlemmer’s choreographies conceived at the Bauhaus University in Dessau around 1925. Through chemical deterioration of the aging print, the film is now awash in vibrant pink and magenta hues. Oliver Husain and his collaborators use this flamboyant tint as both clue and entry point to reimagine Schlemmer’s dances, ideas and impact.