Nicole Kidman Dances to David Bowie in Christie’s Short Film

The actress and Hollywood icon Nicole Kidman is a lifelong supporter of the arts. In a new short film for Christie’s, directed by Stephen Tyler with production from Chrome Productions, this is made clear on her visit to the galleries at New York’s Rockefeller Center.

The true reason for her visit is slowly revealed as the film takes an oneiric turn to the sound of David Bowie’s ‘Golden Years’, with the actress encountering Constantin Brancusi’s sculpture, the gilded Danaïde. It’s a portrait of Margit Pogany, his muse, from 1913.

The encounter takes place in a minimal round room draped in fabric. It’s outsize compared to the pedestal housing Brancusi’s famed sculpture, and creates a sense of distance between the viewer and the artwork. Nicole Kidman’s fascination and appreciation of the ‘Danaïde’ make the scene come alive; she’s the conduit between the sculpture’s history, meaning, artistry and the viewer’s experience. We begin to see it through her eyes as it comes alive.

The actress circles the sculpture with the camera, exchanging the gaze between them. Kidman gets closer and closer for a better look, never quite touching what’s in front of her, reverence in her eyes.

The tension is first broken with archival footage before the film transitions into an explosion of movement. In sunset lighting, Kidman begins to dance, creating shapes mimicking the sleek, curved lines of the artwork. After a while she makes a call to cancel her plans for the day – she’s going to spend the rest of it right where she is.

The sculpture is part of MASTERPIECES: The Private Collection of S.I. Newhouse, on view to the public from 9 May to 18 May as part of Christie’s 20th and 21st Century Art Week exhibition. ‘Danaïde’ is currently up for sale at Christie’s, and is expected to bring in around 100 million USD.