Christian Marclay's latest supercut film, "Doors," is now on view at the Brooklyn Museum after stops in Boston and Europe. The 50-minute looped video compiles scenes of famous actors opening and closing doors from various movies, following the success of Marclay's 2011 hit "The Clock," a 24-hour video-clock that synchronizes on-screen timepieces with the viewer's actual time. The article critiques "Doors" as a less profound, more self-obsessed work that lacks the emotional resonance of its predecessor.
The article argues that "Doors" reveals how Marclay's works increasingly mirror the decontextualizing, machinelike logic of AI and TikTok-era media, where juxtaposed images no longer create new meaning but instead feel hollow. While "The Clock" was hailed as a sublime meditation on time, "Doors" belabors the obvious, lacking the tenderness and soul found in artists like Andy Warhol. The review questions the value of Marclay's approach, suggesting that his films prioritize conceptual gimmickry over genuine human feeling.