L'estasi di Oleg

Oleg is a painter, Klaus is his art dealer.

After a disastrous first art show, Oleg decides to disappear to an old family home in the mountains in hopes of finding the inspiration that has long escaped him.

Without Oleg’s knowledge, Klaus takes advantage of his friend’s disappearance by selling his works. The paintings sell fast, and Klaus goes in search of the now famous artist. He finds him sitting motionless in his mountain home, admiring a small bunch of flowers in front of him.

During his retreat, Oleg realizes that the beauty in the world is already all around him, putting him into a contemplative state of euphoria that borders on madness. Shocked, Klaus quickly realizes his friend is lost in a catatonic state and the canvas Oleg was working on has been left blank and untouched.

Klaus gets an idea: transform Oleg’s refuge into a museum, and the artist (motionless just as he was found) into a freak show.
Oleg’s final works before going crazy are sold at a hefty price: the mundane white canvases attract the public’s morbid curiosity.