In the latter half of the twentieth century, a painter dreamed of a more vibrant, sustainable way of life, and transformed the architectural landscape of Europe and the world. He was Friedensreich Hundertwasser, one of the most singular and provocative artists of his day.

He believed that reconnecting with nature could empower every individual to reclaim their creative voice and restore their dignity. But the bleak postwar urban environment was severing this connection - “functional” architecture was lifeless, square, monochromatic and depressing, devoid of greenery and individuality, and taxed humanity at the price of their physical and psychological health and happiness.

For Hundertwasser, this aesthetic nightmare was parallel to the destruction humanity was wreaking upon the environment (which he sensed long before it was widely understood), as the creativity of nature and mankind are one. He wanted to show a better path, so he moved beyond painting and became the first “architecture doctor”, a healer of sick buildings.

From hospital wards to industrial incinerators, he planted trees on roofs and windows, replaced straight lines with organic forms, and brought color and endless variation to desolate architectural deserts. All the while he fought for zero-waste living and clean energy, for the rights of tenants to alter and build their homes, and the rights of plants to live among us.

Narrated largely by Hundertwasser’s own writings, FIVE SKINS is a film exploring his impact on the fields of architecture, environmentalism, creativity and their intersections. The film itself embodies this philosophy, and features (eventually) a prominent live score and narration, for an immersive performance experience.

Born Friedrich Stowasser, he grew up in Vienna during World War II, and posed as a non-Jew (even among the Hitler Youth) while hiding his Jewish mother. We worked closely with the Hundertwasser Foundation to explore his complex legacy in his homeland, from celebrated Viennese landmarks to lost creations in the Austrian countryside, and interviewed their president Joram Harel, his lifelong friend.

But he was a global citizen, living on his ship the Rainy Day (his first architecture project), Japan, Paris, Venice and ultimately New Zealand, and like him, we examine different cultures through the lens of his ideas. We travel through the built and natural landscapes of three other societies - From Soviet “sleeping communities”, decaying buildings and pagan festivals in Lithuania, to ancient cave cities, monasteries and baptisms in Georgia (the country), to new sustainable building practices in California, including his single American structure.

“If you and your neighbor are creative, we need not travel far, because paradise is right around the corner”