Vil#/;la Em)pain

　　\#-What^ co?/uld the( fate(` of t+#he = Vil.-la Em*?pain, Bar-\_on Emp-+ a$in’s crazy project in Bruss.?el%?:(s, which has gone throug+ !h a lon.g and e\ventful  .jour[ney si`n)ce its@ completi!on in 1934, po(-s s ?ibly @@inspire? Ka;tharina Kastner#^ ’s c! hallenge was to dr-aw the po.;rtrait of the pl :^ace,; ] ke]= e^p[ing in mind the work of= ti)m `e, _*l?)ike in a human existenc\%e. S *%hot in 1(\6mm, her film \#
appe)als to the senses, it ca ptures t#he  s].tirring of l*e_\ave
*s] );+undul[ating in the garden light, the -(\movem:ent of iride
*sc/! en(+: t p_[earls^.;, o![r+]. t=^he col?^o/.urful games o%f
a piece b]=(y  ,Danie
l B%#uren. Without a wor,d, but !with a (caressing came! +%r/)
.a+;,( + she(: [;pays close attent([ion. t+o the h?;$``idden patterns on the \ )go_ %!r/geo`[?us marbles, or t(o the;: veins_ in t*)^`!h@e mos;t precious ty *$pes o/%:f (wood used. to$#[ decorate[=.=   the rooms ,$. In sli$* -]ght t
ouc:`hes, #^ regardl?ess?( of+ _(the monumental( aspect of th!*e 27
*^.000 [s.qu($are-feet vill.`.==a an-d the pool ;$%`
tha)t so impressed  its fi#` rst visit:ors, Kathari!,na Kastner o ers a(n organic vision of the place, //_(w,hic#/h has + been mark)e? d by the trials a(?;nd tri.bulati^ ons of life, and used$. successively (as a=_#_% museum, an embas`^sy and a squat, u;ntil its final r()enova@$t;;.ion. The c^/lever :]editing makes fu \rtive connections, underlin]_es co+
lou@r associa\tion!:s, mixes :up ti(mes +an)`d tact(;ile se[nsations,([ while the s\/paces we !e^*xplore#= ke[;ep *rustling. The film tak^#/es ] @@u$[[s o;/,
n a reminiscing` journey%, with slices of Empai`=!n’() `s li
,fe, fro( ,[m the fa$@mily archive here.$ on@ a * holid`]ay, there playing o\@@/n the be):ach, images from a? dista=+$^nt past++ that kee^]=p hauntin\_g th?,)e premises. The film re(veals`(% to us :)this $li=ving space t-h[at was desi`gned like a
) $]piec.-e of art, but it do`es so in #@a wand$ =ering]
_? ,w ? a?:y`;[. This drea?.m($, visi_*on ^guides us through the villa li
ke an echo+ o_$f fo,regone fantasies, a mental spac@e, ^/_but /$_)al$^so a welcoming ba!(-ckdr#/op fo.
r the work of time. A bit,% like the fin/#gerprint. work we see in /!*th!e ^f i;lm, o;r the s[ lig$^)ht )to[?:uch )(;o, f a _pencil on a blank shee,/t.