Transformational Zones and Violent Encounters. Matthew Barney's "The Order".

In "The Order," Matthew Barney transforms the Guggenheim Museum into a space reminding of a computer game or sports-arena. The protagonist struggles his way through different 'levels' and at the heart of the setting, he is confronted with the para-athlete Aimee Mullins, a cyborg embodying the Deleuzian notion of the ani/omalous. To complete his final task, the protagonist kills the creature. The question arises, why the ani/omalous has to be violently eliminated. In this respect, it is important to know that the DVD offers two viewing options: a film version structured according to a fixed narrative order and an interactive version where one can switch between the levels simultaneously. Thus, Barney's film also raises the question of the aesthetic order at work and invites to consider how what is shown relates to the way in which it is shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]