Ruben Östlund’s Production Company Issues Apology To Argentinian Artist Cited In ‘The Square’
deadline.comRuben Östlund and Erik Hemmendorff’s company Plattform Produktion has issued an apology to Berlin-based Argentinian artist Lola Arias over the use of her name in the 2017 Cannes Palme d’Or Winner The Square. “We understand that the use of Lola Arias’ name, which was not discussed as clearly as it should have been, created a misunderstanding connecting her work as an artist to the artwork The Square (Rutan) shown in the film,” the company said in a statement. “After meeting the artist in Berlin and discussing the misperception caused, we would like to emphasize that The Square (Rutan) is an artwork originally created by Ruben Östlund and Kalle Boman for the city of Värnamo, Sweden in 2015.
All reference to the artist Lola Arias as the creator of the artwork is fictional,” it continued. “We would like to offer an apology to Lola Arias for the way her name was used in the fiction film The Square.” Östlund’s satire about the contemporary art world and starring Claes Bang as a modern art museum curator hinges on the creation of an installation consisting of the illuminated outline of a square on a cobblestone courtyard.
Arias is cited as the creator of the work in film. The artist was on the set of the production for a minor role, which was cut, but had nothing to do with the installation at the heart of the feature.
To this day, her name is cited in reviews and articles on the film, with some writers even assuming she is a fictitious figure.
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