From the New World—Experimental Video Works Screening

From the New World—Experimental Video Works Screening
A4 x KADIST Video Library Screening Series at the Art Museum of Sichuan University

Yin-Ju Chen, Keren Cytter, Harun Farocki, George Kuchar, Nguyen Trinh Thi, and Zhou Tao

In 1965, the artist Nam June Paik bought a Sony camcorder that had just been released and took to the streets to photograph the Pope walking on Park Avenue. That night, he took the video to a cafe where local artists often met for screenings. Later, this was considered by some scholars to be the first video artwork in art history. During the same period, Andy Warhol’s fascination with movies, television, and Hollywood stars was also destined to utilize the potential of artistic creations brought about by video.

Paik and Warhol used video as a medium in their practices, and thus developed new forms of artistic creation. Later, more artists followed this practice and carried out more in-depth explorations. At the same time, they also benefited from the development of science and technology, going further and becoming more advanced. In the 1970s, the number of artists who chose to use video for creation reached a peak, not only as a record of the art itself but also as a new and independent art form. In the long lineage of art history, the emergence and development of video art may be recent, but the rapid changes in media have allowed video art to show a variety of forms that have evolved with the times. With the advancement of technology, we will see that video art has been pushing its own boundaries, and its development has far exceeded the scope of the term when it was born.

This screening includes the works of important artists who are considered to be experimental in the field of video art. By interpreting their creative techniques, we can further understand the creation and reprocessing of video art in the context of modern technology, and further explore it. The newly endowed virtual reality and global digital networks have even inspired new art experiences with the performance art scenes such as performance art, drama, dance, music, and even fields outside of art. Philosopher, Marshall Mcluhan said that new media is not a means of contact between us and the old “real” world; new media is the real world, and it will arbitrarily reorganize what remains of the old world. In a sense, any kind of new media is a new language.

Program
Zhou Tao, After Reality (2012)
Yin-Ju Chen, Extrastellar Evaluations I (2016)
Harun Farocki, Serious Games 3, Immersion (2009)
Keren Cytter, Untitled (2009)
George Kuchar, Burrito Bay (2009)
Anri Sala, Ghost Games (2002)

Luxelakes • A4 Art Museum (formerly A4 Contemporary Arts Center) was founded by Chengdu Wide Horizon Investment Co., Ltd. in March 2008. Ms. Sunny Sun has been the director since its establishment. In August 2016, it moved to Luxelakes Arts Exhibition Center and formally registered as a private non-profit art museum. Designed by architect Antoine Predock, the main structure covers an area of 3,500 square meters, including three-floor independent exhibition halls, a lecture hall, a library, a Kids Space and an art store. Next to it are our permanent themed exhibition hall——the Eco Art Center and a grand theater of 650 seats. Meanwhile, the 2,400-square-meter Art Center of A4 Artist in Residence International Exchange Program is also opened to the public in 2019. With more multi-dimensional space, professional academic research as well as diversified exhibitions and public activities, A4 hopes to enhance its interaction and cooperation with communities, schools and cities to build a more public synthesis of art museum.

This program is part of a collaboration between Luxelakes • A4 Art Museum and KADIST that aims to facilitate access to video works by international contemporary artists for research, education, and enjoyment. The program includes a permanent video art viewing space and an annual video screening series.