Tadao Ando

As an architect, educator, and philosopher, Louis Kahn played a prominent role in the history of 20th century architecture. An examination of six of his most significant buildings: The Salk Institute; the Kimbell Art Museum; the Center for British Art; the library at Philips Exeter Academy; the Indian Institute of Management; and the Parliament Buildings of Bangladesh.

One of the most influential and recognized architects in the world, Tadao Ando, will guide us through an intimate journey from his studio in Japan to the construction of Casa Wabi in the Pacific coast of Mexico. While we see his magnificent work coming to be, we will be welcomed into his world and learn his way of appreciating life, the arts, and his passion for architecture.

"The New Clark: Bringing the Ando Experience to the Berkshires" is a revealing insight into a long-term radical expansion of the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The film follows the close collaboration between the museum and its internationally-acclaimed Japanese architect, Tadao Ando. Both Ando and the director of the Clark Art Institute, Michael Conforti, ponder the complexities of the project and the challenges involving aesthetic, setting, and community impact during the difficult twelve-year period. Determined to honor the institute's original buildings while introducing the modern elements associated with his unique style, Ando's design evokes a classic tranquility that seamlessly blends the Clark Art Institute with its stunning surroundings.

From Emptiness to Infinity pays homage to one of the world's most renowned architects, Japanese minimalist master Tadao Ando (born 1941), offering an exclusive glimpse into his work process. Ando is known for his creative implementation of natural light, his deft interweaving of interior and exterior space and for designing structures that elegantly evoke the contours of the landscape in which they are set. Conceptually and aesthetically, his award-winning exposed concrete designs forge a link between traditional Japanese architecture, Zen and contemporary modernism, while also expressing his fundamental belief that "to change the dwelling is to change the city and to reform society." Directed by Mathias Frick and produced by Susann Schimk and Jörg Trentmann, the film introduces viewers to his world-famous buildings and offers an exclusive look into his work process, as Ando shares his sources of personal inspiration and motivation and looks back over his 40-year career.