Sentio Space was commissioned by the Tate to create an animated trailer for its blockbuster 2024 exhibition on the Expressionists. Our aim was to capture the energy and ingenuity of this pioneering group.
We wanted the trailer to build excitement for this significant cultural moment – the first time that this group of artists has been shown together in London since the 1960s – so we animated moments from some of the key paintings on display, bringing to life these classic works for a contemporary audience.
A key focus of the exhibition is on the Blue Rider group (an informal group of artists who came together in Munich in 1911) and the importance of creative connection and collaboration in the development of the Expressionist movement. So we thought it only right that we brought together three different animators to work on this piece, each bringing their own sense of style, yet also working harmoniously together.
Our animators focused on 5 paintings by 5 different artists, using their creative freedom to imagine moments of movement within these masterpieces of still paint.
Michelle Brand opens the piece with an animation of the iconic Tiger by Franz Marc (1912). A sea of abstract shapes is transformed into the figurative as the tiger unfurls its head. Next we see Kandinsky’s Murnau with Church I (1910), subtly animated again by Michelle, who shifts the colours of the painting as though light moves across them. The lush outdoor setting of Auguste Macke’s Promenade (1913) is brought to life through Angelica Lena’s elegant interpretation, whilst Holly Warburton’s take on The Dancer (1909) by Marianne Werefkin adds to the sultry atmosphere of the original, creating a moment of suspense before the dancer turns her head. Finally the cheerful colours and soft brushwork in Girl with Toddler (1913) by Maria Franck-Marc are accentuated by Angelica Lena’s delicate animation in which we see the mother bend forward and kiss her child’s head.
Colour was hugely important to the Expressionists; use of bold and at times unnatural colours allowed them to emphasise their emotional interior worlds, rather than depicting the exterior world in a realistic manner. We wanted to maintain this in the trailer, using bold and vibrant colour to conjure up atmosphere.
The Expressionist artists were also inspired by other creative mediums beyond painting, including live performance and sound. We realised sound also had an important part to play in our work, choosing Claire de Lune by Debussy as the main piece of music to accompany the visuals – a piece that allows the mind to wander into the different worlds of the animation. This is accompanied by sound effects that help to intensify a sense of atmosphere: the rustle of leaves, bird song, and the gurgle of a baby.
The invitation to work with the Tate for this 5* exhibition felt like a natural continuation; just as the Expressionists were inspired by the Impressionists before them, we previously created animations for Tate Britain’s French Impressionists in London, in 2018, including work by Angelica Lena who has returned to work on this project, and a series of hugely successful animated loops for Tate Modern’s 2019 EY Exhibition on Pierre Bonnard, collaborating with Holly Warburton who has also returned to work on this film.
We hope our animations bring a new dimension to these classic works that members of the Blue Rider group would have been fascinated to see. As a collection of bold, risk-taking artists, we think they would have delighted in the idea that artists today can use digital technology to bring movement to their paintings. What an amazing demonstration of creative collaboration spanning over 100 years.
“We were only a group of friends who shared a common passion for painting as a form of self-expression. Each of us was interested in the work of the other … in the health and happiness of the others.”
Gabriele Münter, 1958
Client: Tate Modern
Audiovisuals: Sentio Space
Produced by Shareen Alder
Directed by Oliver Trace
Animator Michelle Brand
Animator Holly Warburton
Animator Angelica Lena
Sound Design by Benjy Barkes
Sentio Space helps organisations in the knowledge space communicate abstract ideas in a way that resonates with a broad and inclusive audience, by helping them to create multimedia content, including animations, podcasts, and films. Whatever is needed for your project, we are here to help you through the process, from developing the idea to delivering the final files.
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