News release
Friday, September 27th, 7 pm
Where Where Art Space
No. 319-1, East End Art Zone A, Caochangdi Village
(Located in the Platform China courtyard)
Admission free
“The more that I see the less that I know for sure” – John Lennon
The “I SEE International Video Art Festival” is an initiative of the German artists Constantin Hartenstein and Clemens Wilhelm. After touring with their festivals “Greener on the other side” (Clemens Wilhelm) and “Berliner” (Constantin Hartenstein) in the USA, the UK, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland, Estonia and Iceland, they team up and present a new and exciting video art program in China. “I SEE” consists of both an International and a German program, presenting the video works of 20 artists. It will be screened in China’s most vibrant art capitals Chongqing, Chengdu, Shanghai, and Beijing.
The word “video” derives from the Latin word “videre” and simply means “I see”. We very often use the phrase “I see” in conversations to communicate to our partner that we understand what is being said. We also utter it in moments of sudden recognition: “I see!” Video is the most prominent medium of our time. Most people under the age of 40 grew up with it and cannot remember a time before video. Nowadays, videos spread around the globe via the internet in split seconds. They influence us immediately, cause diverse reactions, and can even change the course of world politics. Pixelated amateur videos have entered our news programs. Video has revolutionized the way in which we all document our lives. Every aspect of life – important or not – is being captured on video. It comes as no surprise that this powerful medium has interested artists from the moment of its invention.
But what is it that we see? What are we so desperately or enthusiastically trying to capture? What is the medium video telling us about our present, or about us? Could it be true that the more we see the less we know for sure?
- Constantin Hartenstein & Clemens Wilhelm
“I SEE” is funded by the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa), the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany (Beijing), and the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany (Shanghai & Chengdu). Further financial support comes from the partners AG Kurzfilm and German Films. The Chinese hosting institutions are Organhaus Art Space (Chongqing), A4 Contemporary Arts Center (Chengdu), Rockbund Art Museum (Shanghai), and WhereWhere Art Space (Beijing).
国际项目
The International Program
Bjørn Melhus – Sudden Destruction 突然毁灭 – 04:20
Julia Charlotte – Richter Promised Land 承诺之地 – 11:21
Michael Brynntrup – You-and-me 你和我 – 03:30
Reynold Reynolds – Six Apartments 六间公寓 – 12:07
Nicolás Rupcich – ML – 01:43
Clemens Wilhelm – Peter is Dead 彼得死了- 14:48
Jonathan Monaghan – Life Tastes Good 生命有味 – 02:55
Constantin Hartenstein – FIT 健身- 04:42
Oval Office – The Vault 地窖 – 07:10
Isabell Spengler – Permanent Residents 固定居民 – 09:30
Elizabeth Wurst – Liquid Crystals 液体钻石- 02:47
Amy Reid – Games 游戏 – 11:30
Lilli Kuschel – The Battle 战斗 – 02:33
Francisco Montoya Cázarez – Don Ramón 朵·拉蒙 – 02:36
TOTAL 放映时长 – 91:32
Is the end of the world near? Who is to blame for the current crisis? Are we addicted to picture taking? Do we live our lives in isolation? Do we still experience the world or only a mediated experience? What happens to our photos after we die? Is advertising the driving force behind over consumption? Are we obsessed with our bodies? How alienated are we in the age of social media? Are fantasy worlds an alternative to everyday life? Is our love for technology perverted? What would we do if we were old but had a lot of money? What happens if there are no more movies to be made? And what does it mean to have a long life?
The International Program shows a collection of 14 artists’ work, who reflect on these and many more questions. The videos share a certain mood of estrangement. In many of the works it seems as if one is looking at something familiar but this something has already changed its meaning. In each video, there seems to be something wrong with the presented image. There is a strange mood of subconscious unease oozing out of the works. But there is also hope, there is humour, there is the absurdity of existence itself.
