The view from elsewhere
Almagul Menlibayeva | Jihad 2004 | Mini DV, transferred to DVD, 16:9, colour, sound, 4:48 minutes | Image courtesy: The artist and Galerie Davide Gallo, Berlin | © The artist
TSUI Kuang-Yu | Invisible City: Sea Level 2006 | HD transferred to hard-drive, 16:9, colour, sound, 4:40 mins | Image courtesy the artist & Eslite Gallery, Taipei © the artist
Small acts
25 July – 15 November 2009
Media Gallery, GoMA
The view from elsewhere
7 October – 15 November 2009
Australian Cinémathèque, GoMA
‘The view from elsewhere’ features contemporary video art and cinema practice from across Asia and the Middle East, comprising a series of film and video screenings presented in the Australian Cinémathèque, and an exhibition of installed video works, ‘Small acts’, in the Media Gallery.
A cinema-based exhibition of digital feature film, documentary, shorts, experimental film and video art, ‘The view from elsewhere’ showcases works that address particular aesthetic, social and political contexts, while extending the possibilities of cinematic and artistic expression. Artists and filmmakers include Ayisha Abraham, Sasithorn Ariyavicha, Ranu Ghosh, Amos Gitaï, Hu Jie, Jocelyne Saab, Wang Jianwei, Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Yoo Soon-mi.
‘Small acts’ features artists’ videos in which the artist performs simple acts before a camera, alone or in conjunction with others, that are sometimes comical and often involve feats of endurance, physical gestures, or disruptive and untranslatable acts. Early works by Nam June Paik and Yoko Ono are presented alongside contemporary works by artists including Tsui Kuang-yu, Ghazel, Kimsooja and Song Dong. Currently, a significant number of younger artists are returning to performance-based video works using a simple digital camera. This parallels the freedom experienced by contemporary filmmakers using digital technology which allows fluid responses to different situations and a high degree of realism.
'The view from elsewhere' and ‘Small acts’ point to other ways of seeing and understanding and include works by nearly 50 artists and filmmakers. The integration of the cinema and video exhibitions creates relationships between moving image works produced for various audiences and contexts, while also respecting the historical specificities of art and cinema exhibition. The project is a partnership between the Queensland Art Gallery and the Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation, Sydney, and an accompanying full-colour catalogue is available from the Gallery Store, Gallery Store Modern and online.
Public Programs
Curator's Tour
3.00pm Sunday 26 July
Tour 'The view from elsewhere' with exhibition curator Kathryn Weir, Curatorial Manager (International Art and the Australian Cinémathèque). Media Gallery, GoMA
Gallery Talk
2.00pm Saturday 10 October
Tour ‘A view from elsewhere’ with Naomi Evans, Assistant Curator, International Art. Please meet at the exhibition entrance.
