Concrete Finally Gets Its Close-Up

A new documentary turns a patient, extended look at concrete, the plainest material there is and, by volume, the most used on earth. Filmmaker John Wilson built "The History of Concrete" around the idea that under that gray surface is a considerable amount of craft, and a material clock running slower than most people assume. It is a small case for a bigger idea our readers already live by: that the object worth studying is rarely the flashiest one in the room, and that even impermanence can be part of what makes something worth a second look.

With reporting from Artnet News.