For Christian Jankowski’s MATRIX exhibition in 2000, the German artist was commissioned to create a new video work. Given that the year also marked the 25-year anniversary of the Wadsworth Atheneum’s groundbreaking MATRIX exhibition series, Jankowski ultimately focused his project on the history of the seminal contemporary art program in The MATRIX Effect (2000). The 26-minute video work whimsically combines elements of historical documentary with childhood fairytale in a charming, informative, and entertaining narrative. Jankowski culled the script from interviews with Jim Elliott and Andrea Miller-Keller—MATRIX’s founding director and curator, respectively—as well as a diverse selection of MATRIX artists. In the video, Elliott, Miller-Keller, and the artists are played by children (not professional actors) who speak their words. The transformational “effect” of fresh art and ideas becomes eternal youth and boundless creativity.