Please come to the RE/Mixed Media Festival 2010. I will be on the artist panel discussion around 3:45pm and being one of the judges for the remix competition screening around 8:15pm. Hopefully see ya there!

Sunday, May 30th 2010; 2 PM
Galapagos Art Space, 16 Main Street DUMBO, Brooklyn

FREE! (21 and over)

The RE/Mixed Media Festival is our way of contributing to the ongoing conversation about remixing, mashups, copyright law, fair use, and the freedom of artists to access their culture in order to add to and build upon it.  While there are numerous events addressing these issues, they are usually discussion-based, featuring lectures and panel discussions about policy.  We believe that one of the best ways to make the general public aware of these types of issues is by demonstrating all the types of art and culture that remix touches. To that end, on May 30th we will transform Galapagos into a multimedia art space for a full day/evening of:

• Film & Video: Throughout the day, we will feature remixed film and video dating back to the first remixers like Joseph Cornell (1936) to contemporary “vidders” utilizing 21st century technology to remix media content as cultural commentary, and machinima artists whose art consists using video game technology to construct new narratives.
• Music & Sound: Remixing has a long tradition in music from John Cage, to hip-hop sampling, to broadcasters like Joe Frank.  The RE/Mixed Media Festival will highlight DJs, musicians & artists who use remix to create unique works, including legendary remixer Steinski, electronic hip-hop duo Mad Happy, and others.
• Artists-Only Panel Discussion: Usually at events like these, you’ll here panel discussions from lawyers, pundits and policy-makers, with a few artists thrown in here and there. Since this festival is all about the art and the artists, our panel discussion will be a discussion and debate amongst the artists themselves, taking on the pros and cons of sampling, remix, appropriation, and copyright reform.
• Visual Art:  The concept of remix is nothing new in the world of art.  Artists as diverse as Duchamp, Rauschenberg, Warhol and Lichtenstein have all used cultural icons and found objects to comment on the society that produced them.  The festival will feature an exhibition of painters, photographers and collage artists who we feel represent remix culture. All works will be available via silent auction to benefit RE/Mixed Media and the League of Independents.
• Fashion: What does remixed fashion look like? How can clothing serve as a medium for recombinant memories of style, culture and evolution? These are questions producer Elizabeth Pulos aims to tackle with the Remixed Fashion Show, featuring designs by Jojo Monson, Arthur Arbit and Katie McKay. Projections by Rachel Blackwell, beats by Karl Marx and a performance by rising burlesque star Miss Em all challenge our atavistic notions of what “dressing up” really means.
• The Roots of Remix: One room of the festival space will be a dedicated “Roots Room” with ongoing video, audio, photographs and readings that take visitors through the history of remix/mashup – demonstrating that, far from being a new phenomenon, remix has been with us for centuries.
• Sponsor Tables: Many of our sponsors and supporters will have tables set up on the balcony level, so that our visitors can familiarize themselves with the myriad organizations dedicated to promoting a free and open culture.  Current sponsors and supporters include: The Open Video Alliance, Public Knowledge, and Creative Commons.

The Conversation

In the past decade, digital hardware and software has allowed artists and consumers access to media-creating tools previously only available to professionals.   The result has been not only an explosion of user-generated media, but an explosion of creativity as well. Artists began applying remixing and mashup techniques borrowed from the music world, to digital video and film, creating new works of art using elements from other sources.

The art of remixing is now considered acceptable after being practiced for three decades in music, while artists remixing appropriated video and film are subject to lawsuits. We believe it’s time that the same legitimacy granted to music be granted to the visual arts as well.

The doctrine of fair use in U.S. copyright law allows copyrighted works to be used for “purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research”.  We believe this should apply to any appropriation that uses the original in order to create something new, provided it doesn’t mitigate the potential market or value of the original work.   Since the 18^th century, copyright laws allowed for these kinds of use. Today, software manufacturers and ISPs can circumvent this legal provision by building copy restriction mechanisms into the hardware itself, preventing artists from creatively remixing video, sound, words and images, even when the resulting works might fall under fair use.  The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1996 codified these types of restrictions, criminalizing the production of technology that circumvents measures that control access to copyrighted material.

Public domain laws have suffered similar setbacks.  Before 1964, copyright extended for a term of 28 years, today a copyright can last as long as 120 years and since 2008, the law gives the copyright holder the “exclusive right” to create derivative works.  This means that cultural phenomena such as Pop Art, which relied on reframing cultural icons, couldn’t emerge today without being sued into obscurity, nor would we have the works of Mozart, Shakespeare, or Thomas Edison.

The Festival aims to challenge the current laws by bringing public awareness to media mixing as a legitimate practice, while at the same time remaining within their boundaries of the law.  We are soliciting artists who remix responsibly. This does not mean claiming someone else’s work as your own, it means recognizing that every artist contributes to the global cultural library and works can and should be built upon, modified, and repurposed with the goal of bringing a new work of art into the world.

My work “Because Washington Is Hollywood For Ugly People” is going to be shown at Blanton Museum of Art in Austin! Go check it out ;-)

The Blanton is pleased to present New Works for the Collection, a summer exhibition highlighting more than sixty new acquisitions from among the hundreds of works recently acquired through gift and purchase.  Strengthening key areas in The Blanton’s collection and offering fresh opportunities for learning, this selection includes a number of landmarks in the history of printmaking, European drawings that deepen the rich holdings of the Suida-Manning Collection, paintings by a master of modern Latin American art, and an exciting range of contemporary painting, sculpture, video and new media from artists based in Argentina, Cuba, Brazil, England, Canada and the United States, including Austin.

An engraving after Michelangelo’s fresco of the Last Judgment by Giorgio Ghisi is among several prints in the exhibition that reproduce works by Michelangelo. The composition is on such a large scale––printed from ten separate copper plates––that, in the 16^th century, the work became a monument in its own right. This complete and uniform impression of Ghisi’s masterpiece is the only example recorded in an American public collection.

The Blanton’s noted collection of Latin American art has gained several historically important new works, including two intimate and rare tempera paintings by Juan Batlle Planas and an innovative articulated bronze sculpture by Gyula Kosice, both Argentinean modernists working in the mid-20^th century.

International contemporary works across many mediums address a variety of current art topics including political critique, dystopian narratives, and the construction of identity. Addressing the latter issue, an impressive self-portrait by artist Mequitta Ahuja and esteemed artist and educator Charles Gaines’ thought-provoking video collaboration with Hoyun Son each offer poignant interpretations of contemporary life in the United States.

Annette DiMeo Carlozzi, The Blanton’s Deputy Director for Art and Programs states, “The exhibition presents a snapshot of The Blanton’s collecting activities since our new building opened four years ago.  Gifts and funds-for-purchase from generous new and longstanding friends have enabled the museum to acquire an extraordinarily diverse array of art objects spanning over 500 years of artistic achievement. The exhibition commences a regular program of sharing these ‘new finds’ with our audiences.”

A special discussion on the exhibition, led by Blanton curators Jonathan Bober and Ursula Davila-Villa, will be held Thursday, June 3 at 12:30 PM.

And, on Thursday, June 17 at 7:30 PM, collectors Mike Chesser and Faith and Dewayne Perry join Blanton curators in the galleries to discuss the works they recently donated to The Blanton.

This exhibition is organized by the Blanton Museum of Art.

http://www.blantonmuseum.org/exhibitions/details/new_works_for_the_collection/

Guy Bärtschi from Geneva, Switzerland are among one of the first patrons who collect my works. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of his gallery, Guy put together a exhibition named ““20 ans déjà!” with his favorite artists’ works! I am very honored that my works are in the show, along with all the contemporary masters! If you happened to be in Geneva please check it out!

“20 ans déjà!”, Galerie Guy Bärtschi, Geneva, Switzerland.

Exhibition from 20 May to 16 July 2010

Opening 20 May 2010 as of 6 pm

Gallery Guy Bärtschi
3a, rue du Vieux Billard
CH-1205 Geneva

Furthermore, a selection of works
will be presented at Loft43
with Appelt, Boetti, Bourgeois, Collishaw, Hirschhorn, Horn, Laib, Lawler, Long, Margolles, Miller, Pettibon, Raetz, Shaw and West

43, route des Jeunes, 1227 Carouge / Les Acacias
by appointment

My work “In G.O.D. We Trust” is gonna show in Shanghai and Beijing! Muchas gracias to curator Raúl Zamudio and 其他画廊 Other Gallery!

《现实主义亭》

策展人： Raul Zamudio / 老拉.扎穆迪奥，Maarten Bertheux / 马腾·博斯克斯

段落壹： 4月23日－6月1日 其他画廊.上海空间
VIP 开幕酒会： 4月23日 下午5－7点

段落贰： 4月24日－6月1日 其他画廊.北京空间
VIP 开幕酒会： 4月24日 下午 3－6 点

艺术家； 克里斯托弗 K. Ho，高磊，戈登 张，黄小鹏，蒋崇无，金阳平，洪天健，关尚智，陆磊，刘敏，麦克﹒唐，倪海峰，雪莉﹒王，莎拉﹒谢，王轶庶，段英梅，张宏图

“现实主展馆”是一次国际性的展览，展览的题目借用了现实主义画家库尔贝（Gustave Courbet）的同名展。库尔贝的作品被1855年巴黎世博会所拒绝，他的“展馆”就是对此事件的直接回应。而本次展览则在2010年上海世界博览会的语境中再次上演了当年库尔贝与巴黎世博会之间的政治对峙。

出于政治因素的考虑，18、19世纪的法国官方沙龙要对参展作品进行严格审查，而本次参加2010年世博会的国家则试图借助文化、艺术来强调自己的民族性，但本次展览并不打算探讨那些影响当今世界的棘手问题。相反，本次展览将秉承库尔贝的反抗精神，用艺术的方式呈现与“现实主义”有关的社会、政治问题，从而弥补了2010年上海世博会在这方面的缺席。

As a response to the upcoming World Expo in Shanghai and attendant pavilions by foreign countries, Other Gallery/Shanghai will exhibit “The Pavilion of Realism.”

Gustave Courbet constantly challenged the status quo. In his 1849-1850 “Burial at Ornans,” he painted an uncle’s funeral as if it was historically important as a Napoleonic victory. He is best known for his scandalously daring and sexual depictions of nudes. He hated academic painting, which often told allegorical stories with religious or mythological figures. He refused to paint an angel, he once said, because he had never seen one.

And before young Impressionists started the famous Salon des Refuses as an alternative to the official Paris salon art show, Courbet in 1855 created his anti-establishment Pavilion of Realism outside a Paris exhibition in protest of his work being rejected. In 1873, after the collapse of the radical/revolutionary Paris Commune,which he supported, he was forced into exile in Switzerland.

The exhibition “The Pavilion of Realism“, taking the idea of the same titled show Gustave Courbet put up opposing the rejection of Exposition Universelle’s Salon, consists of 17 mainland and overseas Chinese artists. The exhibition will run concurrently with the Shanghai World Expo,, from April 23 to June 1, 2010.

Other Gallery, China, V.I.P. opening reception:

4/23/2010
其他画廊上海空间 / Other Gallery Shanghai (M50)
上海市普陀区莫干山路50号
50 Moganshan Road, Building 9, Shanghai

4/24
其他画廊北京空间 / Other Gallery Beijing (798)
北京市朝阳区酒仙桥路798艺术区706北三街西
3th Street North 706 West, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China, 100015

Artists:
Christopher K. Ho (New York)
Gao Lei (Beijing)
Gordon Cheung (London)
Huang Xiaopeng (Guangzhou)
Jiang Chongwu (Shanghai)
Jin Yangping (Hangzhou)
Kenneth Tin-Kin Hung (New York)
Kwan Sheung Chi (Hong Kong)
Liu Min (Beijing)
Lui Lei (Hangzhou)
Michael Yeu Tong (New York)
Ni Haifeng (Beijing)
Sherry Wong (San Francisco)
Sarah Tse (London)
Wang Yishu (Guangzhou)
Ying Mai Duan (Berlin)
Zhang Hongtu (New York)

Full Article about the show in Chinese:

本真回归： 现实主义展亭
劳拉•扎穆迪奥（纽约）
　　　　现实主义的本质在于它对理想的否定——古斯塔夫 •库尔贝
　 “现实主义展亭”是一个综合展，参展艺术家分别来自于世界各地不同地区，这些参展艺术家生活和工作在北京、柏林、广州、杭州、香港、伦敦、纽约、旧金山以及上海地区。现实主义展亭展览的题名借用了1855年现实主义画家库尔贝（Gustave Courbet）的同名展。此外，与现实主义展亭相关的主题不仅具有历史性，同样还具有现实性。本展览在吸收了世博会的概念的基础上，其不仅与历史上库尔贝的“展亭”有历史渊源，同样，亦和上海主办的2010年世博会发生现实性关联。
如同十八世纪晚期和十九世纪法国的官方沙龙一样，当时作品的参选与否取决于作品是否达到学院水平或者是否与政治因素有关联，同样，此次上海世博会的参展国家被授权来选取公开展示的作品。诚然，这些国家不仅想通过展览来展示他们的文化，科学以及技术，同样还想通过展示经过认可的艺术家的展览品来展示自己国家的民族性。与这些官方政府的政策所不同的是，这里艺术家们并不打算探讨那些影响当今世界的棘手问题。相反，本次展览将沿着库尔贝开辟的蹊径，用艺术的方式呈现与“现实主义”有关的社会、政治问题，为2010年上海世博会锦上添花。展览中的“现实主义”作品所展示的不仅仅体现在艺术形式上的创新，同样也以艺术的形式来参与探讨政治热点问题。库尔贝的现实主义是对他那个时代的社会和政治而做出的前卫批评。此外，他的亭子是通过展览艺术的可能性来透视潜在的某种新见解。库尔贝的具有争议的亭子产生的影响一直到今天我们还能通过各种各样的方式感觉到，这其中就包涵了在博览会之外做另类展览的这种观念形态。这其中就包括伦敦艺术博览会（2009）以及萨尔 •伦道夫（Sal Randolph）“欧洲宣言展”（2002），当时就为艺术家在 eBay提供自由展。
本次展览之所以之所以与欧洲有关联，是因为与历史有相对应关系的一个展览，这是源自于展览起源的现代性，但是当代的本次展览的语境发生了变化，其语境是不断发展中的全球化。比如在中国有与之相似的已经过时间检验的1990年代早期北京东村艺术现象，虽然其先锋性和前卫性仅维持了短暂的时间。但是这种根植于艺术家的前卫精神和展览实践是与现实主义的亭子的坚定地前卫精神是一致的。但是，与本次展览不同点在于，历史上那个由库尔贝领先发起的展览是对当时现状的反对，即对于包括学院，沙龙，画廊，市场以及展览这些艺术机构的反对。当年库尔贝的画作在1855年被巴黎世博会官方拒绝之后，他在世博会的外面建立了他的现实主义的亭子。这个历史不但是艺术实践，同样也是艺术批评史上的一个分水岭。因为，在此之前，他是被制度机构以及沙龙所拒绝的，库尔贝的作品被世博会所拒绝，他的“展馆”就是对此事件的直接回应。当时对库尔贝的批评不仅是从美学上的，同样也从政治方面加以批评。因为，在当时的那个时代，现实主义是一个全然新事物，现实主义具有激进的美学风格，当时库尔贝是受到他的朋友，社会主义者以及作家的皮埃尔• 约瑟夫•蒲鲁东（Pierre-Joseph Proudhon）的影响。当时普鲁东被认为是第一位无政府主义者的人，在他的左派做品《什么是知识产权》（What is Property）（1840）中树立了这种风格。普鲁东或许可以称之为法国最有代表性的激进政治的发言人，在政治哲学家从伦敦流亡到巴黎期间他结识了卡尔•马克思（Karl Marx）。事实上，马克思从书本上已经熟悉了普鲁东，因为在《哲学的贫困》（The Philosophy of Poverty）一书中，他就与普鲁东的《苦难的哲学》（The Philosophy of Poverty）进行了探讨。就是在这种激昂交锋的背景下，库尔贝的现实主义在美学上和政治上做为艺术的实践而随之产生。
虽然库尔贝的代表作是作品《画家工作室——一个概括了我七 年艺术和道德生活的真实的寓喻》（The Artist’s Studio: A Real Allegory of a Seven Year Phase in My Artistic and Moral Life ）(1855) 中，但是他在其现实主义作品中体现出的政治理解以及对底层人民的同情引来了褒贬不一的反应。现实主义所追求的是用尊重的手法描绘被社会边缘化的人群，对边缘化群体充满同情的描绘在此之前的历史是从未出现过的。连同库尔贝的作品《采石工人》（Stonebreakers）(1849)，其他以现实主义手法的作品包括奥诺雷•杜米埃（Honoré Daumier ）以及让弗朗索•瓦米勒（ Jean-François Millet）的作品，这种新的具体现实的风格即用一种人文同情来描绘社会边缘人群的作品，这在当时是被认为是具有先锋前卫精神的。但是库尔贝选择叙述的主题不仅是关于创造某种与之前的浪漫主义和新古典主义风格不同的东西，而是他的艺术形式上创新这种艺术实践是诉诸于他的政治理解的。也就是说，他的现实主义美学分格不仅仅是一个新的美学词汇，同样也是一种批评思潮以及政治理想。但是有趣的情况是，却是他的作品《画家工作室》（The Artist’s Studio）导致了他被1855年的世博会所拒绝。
世博会是西方现代性的许多标志中的其中一个萌芽标识。到1851年第一次世博会在伦敦落地为止，现代主义在文化、科技以及理性等领域中孕育。虽然我们不能对当时的殖民主义忽略不计，但是欧洲已处于被爱德华（Edward）所称的“东方主义”的困境中。虽然资产阶级的国际主义或许是一种全球主义，全球主义一直以来被理解为早期的对新大陆的发现。对早期墨西哥殖民进行研究的学者塞尔日• 格鲁津斯基（Serge Gruzinski ）将之称之为“第一次的全球化”，此次的全球化反映了十六世纪新西班牙的跨大西洋文化交流。无论如何，世博会的确是通过世博会的国际视野标识着一个新的大都会意识的产生。
世博会的最早的前身是法国国家贸易博览会。第一次这种意义上博览会是在1844年举办的，但是，现在意义上的世博会最早是1851年的伦敦世博会。当时是由阿尔伯特（Albert）亲王发起的，伦敦世博会是在约瑟夫•帕克斯顿（Joseph Paxton）庞大水晶宫中举行的。在延续传统的贸易博览会的的基础上，世博会变为工业革命中期的国家之间的贸易协定，这种特点的博览会一直延续到 1939年。此后，世博会从仅强调工业而发生转向，转向不仅通过技术乌托邦也转向重视文化方面。一直到二十世纪八十年代末期，一种新的元素进入到世博会的理念，就是在工业和文化的联合之下树立“国家品牌”。“国家品牌”就是通过世博会做为平台来提升国家在国外的国家形象。这个理念加之其他的主题已经成为当前世博会的核心理念。贸易、科学、历史、文化、社会中个体性等，如何让这些因素更好融合起来以及如何在民族性和全球化之间找到平衡，这是本次现实主义展亭中艺术家作品所要探讨的问题。
艺术家黄晓鹏用一种比例不协调方式来缠绕地球模型。在他作品《全球化对你来说意味着什么》（2009）中，他运用一种广告牌大小条幅来告示动画电话游戏的结果。他通过不停转换的中文到英文的网络翻译程序来隐喻全球化，运用不断出现的词语：“ 感谢经济帝国的扩展，使得文化交流成为最大限度的可能，并使得孤立的文明得以链接。”告示采取了交错的方式，采用亚当•斯密（Adam Smith）以及斯坦利•库布里克（Stanley Kubrick）的《2001年：空间奥德赛》（ 2001: A Space Odyssey ）(1968) HAL形式，利用这种交错方式表达过去和现代时空下，在市场驱动下的乌托邦以及包含历史的文明链接。克里斯托弗•何光（Christopher K. Ho）在一个作品中用缠绕的电路放置于公共领域的广告下面，这种形式曾在先前的在墨西哥MACO的当代艺术博览会中也曾出现过。他用乙烯基塑料做成的文本置放于用于世博会集装箱的内外，用汉字在集装箱的外面写“墨西哥制造”，在里面写“墨西哥创造”。语义的差异形成了在经济倍速增长的消费社会随之而来在中国和墨西哥之间的文化张力，虽然目前前者与美国相比是后者更大的贸易伙伴。在此次现实主义展亭的展览中，艺术家反其之而行之，用西班牙人在中国彩旗上写着 “中国制造，中国创造”。不过，因为艺术家的中国种族血统以及策展人的墨西哥种族血统，这个作品在当下的语境变呈现了另一种层面的复杂性。此外，还有其他一些艺术家也在他们的作品中表达了在全球市场贸易以及文化交锋当中的差异性，在某种程度上，此次2010年的世博会的展亭在商业的背后体现了其背后的民族性特征。
张宏图作品《可口可乐》（六包装）（2002）以及《麦当劳》（2002）中，体现了商业文化和文化商业融汇合并。《可口可乐》是一件陶瓷材料作品，这件作品运用的青花装饰手法是可以追溯到中国古代明代的一种陶瓷装饰手法，这件作品是以六个独立的形式表现出来，但是实际上是可口可乐瓶子的形式。这件出色的作品包涵了全球化关系以及低俗文化向高雅文化的侵入的潜在危机，但是这件作品的手法对观者来说并不陌生，在其他的一些艺术家也用过类似的图像，包括像切尔多•梅雷莱斯（Cildo Meirlels）的名为《嵌入思想电路：可口可乐工程》（1970），同样，在安迪• 沃霍尔（Andy Warhol ）波普图像也采用此类手法。《麦当劳》也采用了此手法，张宏图在这里将巨大的麦当劳和法国薯条包以及塑料餐具一起置入布满中国纹饰以及麦当劳标识的器皿中。迈克尔 • 宇堂（Michael Yeu Tong）在他的青绿水墨作品中同样也采用了将西方和中国元素融汇的手法，画面上田园牧歌般的景观中点缀着带着手提电脑的雅皮士，或者出现在各种交通工具中的人士，亦或一个战船却在抒情诗般地漂浮着。在他其他的作品中，宇堂运用巨大的圆形装饰中用了诸如本杰明•富兰克林（Benjamin Franklin ）和亚西尔•阿拉法特（Yaser Arafat）的文化图像。洪天建的影像作品以及相关的数字图画，题名为《我们相信上帝》（2009），隐含了美元事件，但是以温和的方式指代的是对贝拉克•奥巴马（Barack Obama）的崇拜。洪天建的作品运用了DJ以及多元化的元素集锦，表现了这个美国第四十四任总统的摇身一变而成的各种身份，即耶稣基督、佛、圣母瓜达卢佩、克利须那、穆罕默德和亚伯拉罕。动画是耳目一新的，万花筒般的幻象暗示出了全球存在的各种各样的问题，包括经济、战争、社会问题以及环境问题等等。洪天建用旋风般变幻的图像通过对奥巴马的崇拜表现出一种全球焦虑。高登祥（Gordon Cheung）则是通过他的十幅《2008十大亿万富翁》（2009）也表现出同样的主题。
这些坦率的图像，有些是侧面的，有些是正面的，但是均体现了艺术家的个性特征，炫目的色彩以及重叠的图像形式。流溢的画面在边缘凝固，前景与背景的巧妙地运用就像是多彩的叠印画像，艺术家用复杂的富有诗意的画面作出了坦率的表达：这些世界级的大富翁可否具有经济以及政治力量？随同与之的政府是否影响了人类生存的方方面面？金阳平则从另一个方面运用普通工人的影像来建构其形象。作品通过卡通人物来表现人物经历内心的煎熬与变化。在此次的现实主义展亭中，并不是所有的艺术家都将经济作为主题，反之，他们将目光转向了2010年世博会的有关主题，比如本土以及域外，东方以及西方，男性以及女性的不平衡关系问题，这些问题在某些时候，确实是难以确定哪一方是更倾斜一些？关于这一点，在艺术家段英梅的表演中尤其突出，1990年代早期来自于北京东村艺术区，在此次展览中一件具有震撼力的作品是一件表演作品名为《朋友》（2003）。这件作品以英梅的天真的拿着放大玻璃而行走而开始的画面，她慢慢地行走，因为她被放大的周围的景观所吸引。当她快步走过一个房间时，她用她的光学镜片在一个欧洲遗产中发现一个裸体男性。最终，她的少女般的好奇导引着她去审视那个裸体男性的生殖器。这里的潜台词是显而易见的：欧洲人历来将非欧洲人作为凝视的对象，男性裸体在这里是物化的象征。无所不在的根植与内的欲望在莎拉谢的作品中得到了表达。莎拉谢做了一个包含100个物体图像的粉红色的装置作品。粉红娃娃、粉红填充饱满的动物、粉红衣服、粉红色的糖果等等，在这里变成了性别的象征，当这些物品集合在一起时就暗示并内化着理论家并同为哲学家朱迪斯•巴特勒（Judith Butler）所认为的“性别表演”。也就是说，文化当中的性别没有严格的界限划分，事实上是流溢并具有展性的。其他的艺术家也关注现实的复杂性，比如Sherry Wong的作品21st flânuers, Goths, and dandies。她对亚文化的渲染，无论他们是否是朋克、夜生活者、或者宗教原教旨主义均成为人类学家的研究领域。关尚智对流行文化进行了反思：他的影像取名为Doing it with Chi… making an Exit Bag(2009)。他调侃了由亚洲厨师主持的美国烹调节目。差别仅在于由Chi所教授的不是plat du jour，而只是一堂教授怎样去做一个自取灭亡的出口袋子。如同其他电视人物一样，Chi设法带着保持着面容来做处理这些事情。这里艺术家略施技巧来表现一种二十一世纪的焦虑，这种焦虑将致使人们去自杀。从高磊以及江崇武的作品中也可看出对这种问题的关注。
高磊的作品，在他的影像实践中，他通过搭建舞台造型的方法来表现他需要表达的历史、自然和社会情境。他的影像在刚进入眼帘时也许感觉到有些异样，但是事实上他是一种表现技巧。事件以一种虚拟的方式出现，换句话说，他运用影像来表现事实背后的仿像。同样也通过大型的带有动物标本的雕塑来表达在现实和其对立面的模糊地界限。一只鹿被困在以艺术形式出现的集装箱里，在这里，艺术敬爱增添了自然和文化的二分对立的新的纠结气氛。陆磊同样也做了一个雕塑，他挑选了一些时而可以作为技术零件的物件，或许就可以在世博会的某个地方发现的物件来作为他的媒介。在这里，艺术家将造物变成为诗意的表现，陆磊的作品在各种各样的链接中摇摆着。他的雕塑视野是宽泛的但是又没有游离出他的主位主题。这是一件似乎要在某种程度上将中国和外部世界链接的三维流程图。同样，从倪海峰的影像以及装置作品中我们可以感觉到同样的主题。倪海峰的主题有关乎飞散和游牧意味的。他不仅用艺术的方式也用研究者的方式来探讨涉及全球商贸的问题。倪海峰选用了我们熟视无睹的常常忽略的媒介，这些媒介在他那里却成为具有灵性的物体的象征：一只运输的箱子成为雕塑的基座，因此，在这里艺术和商业的关系开始发生关系。换个方式来理解，倪海峰的艺术方式是全新的，他的艺术智慧向我们展开了绕有趣味的一个王国。
其它参展的艺术家包括高磊、刘敏、林美雅、王轶庶，前两个艺术家的大型摄影作品高度饱和。高磊建构了由人创造的静态场面，然后拍照，其中包括社会荒地，官僚的情况，以及植物和动物群，似乎慢慢地抹杀人类生存的一切。刘敏同样建构了事件的现场，但这项工作道出了本杰明布赫洛评论家所说的“美学的行政模仿。” 林美雅林还侧重于社会秩序是被社会团体规划与内化。在《时代在召唤（ 2007）》，艺术家将今天上午儿童早晨进行的晨练变成了介于芭蕾和军事奇观中的一种东西。王轶庶也揭示了每天都似乎发生的异常，兽类包括斑马在城市中漫步，像一个走失的宠物正在寻找他们的主人。现实主义类似是一种对于农村和城市，发展中国家和发达国家，前现代性和现代性，中心和边缘的具有政治色彩的批评。
　 现实主义展亭是一个与时代相随的展览，之所以这样说，不仅是因为艺术家通过艺术形式与社会坦率对话，而且亦表达了与社会息息相关的独立主题，这种独辟蹊径的有别于参加2010年世博会政府的主题表达方式，是具有先锋性的。然而正是这样富有先锋性的艺术形式在当下的艺术世界是必要的，特别是在当今经济力量占主导地位的所谓全球化时代，在这个全球经济萧条时期，先锋艺术的表达而显得尤其珍贵。库尔贝曾被问之为什么不画天使，而库尔贝的做答是他从未见过天使。　　

The November installment of Flaherty NYC is entitled Experiments with Animation and will feature short works by a number of artists prominent in the field, including Phil Solomon, Martha Colburn, Signe Baumane, and Jeff Scher.

Select filmmakers will be taking part in a post-screening discussion of their work.

Animated films come in all shapes and sizes. In the Experiments with Animation program, The Flaherty will bring together a broad spectrum of animated works, ranging from quirky and humorous to dark and haunting, and often falling somewhere in-between. The program is sponsored in part by the Leo Dratfield Endowment, honoring the late Charles Samu, an ardent supporter of animation.

Featuring Works By:

· Jesse Epstein (in person)
Jesse Epstein was selected for “25 New Faces of Independent Film” by Filmmaker Magazine, for her series of short films on physical perfection, the latest of which, 34x25x36, was broadcast on P.O.V. this summer.

· Steve Subotnick
Steven Subotnick’s animated films are associative explorations of themes found in history, folklore, and his own unconscious. He has worked as an animator, director, illustrator, author, and has taught animation at numerous institutions, including Rhode Island School of Design and Harvard University.

· Jeff Scher (in person)
Jeff Scher lives and makes films in Brooklyn, NY. His films may be seen on The New York Times blog, The Animated Life. Time Out New York said his “quicksilver shorts are like Muybridge motion studies for the MTV generation.”

· Phil Solomon
Phil Solomon is an American experimental filmmaker and professor at Colorado University. In 2007, The Village Voice named Rehearsals for Retirement one of the top ten experimental films of that year.

· Kenneth Tin-Kin Hung (in person)
Kenneth Tin-Kin Hung makes socially conscious art using Hi-Definition video animation, video game, net.art, digital graphics and mixed-media installations. In 2008, Ken Johnson of The New York Times described Hung as a “fierce, funny and inventive political satirist.”

· Martha Colburn
Born and raised in the Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania (USA). Based in Holland and New York since 2000, Colburn is a self-taught filmmaker who has completed over 40 films since 1994. Her films have screened at Sundance, Rotterdam International and New York Film Festival, MoMA, and Cannes.

· Signe Baumane (in person)
Signe Baumane began her New York career working in the studio of Bill Plympton before starting her own studio in 2002. She has produced and co-produced, written, directed and designed more than 9 independent animated shorts, which have screened at such prestigious festivals as Tribeca, Sundance, Berlin, and Venice.
TICKET INFORMATION:
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General admission tickets to the Flaherty NYC series at the Anthology Film Archives are $9. Tickets are $7 for students with valid I.D., and $6 for Anthology members with membership card.

Tickets can be purchased at the Anthology box office the day of the show. For more information, call the Flaherty at 212-448-0457.
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Anthology Film Archives is located in the old Second Avenue Courthouse building in the East Village at 32 Second Ave. at the corner of 2nd Street.
Contact Information
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The Flaherty/International Film Seminars
email: ifs@flahertyseminar.org
phone: 212-448-0458
web: www.flahertyseminar.org
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Sign of the Times, November 7, 2009 – January 9, 2010
group show featuring Kim Beck, Máximo González, Kenneth Tin-Kin Hung, Michael Patterson-Carver and Carrie Schneider

opening reception: Sat Nov 7th, 4-7pm

Sign of the Times
is a group exhibition exploring the current global economic crisis. This show was initially inspired by Carrie Schneider’s most recent photos “Recession” and “Miss America.” Acting once again as her own subject, Schneider set out to explore elements of physical comedy and its greater psychological repercussions. But as an American working in a foreign land (Helsinki), during a global meltdown, not-to-mention being bombarded with headlines about Miss California Carrie Prejean, Schneider could not help feeling personally responsible and embraced the topical nature of work. Taking this cue, Sign of Times hopes to convey the multiplicity of thought in regards to our current situation: from solidarity to parody, from economic to environmental, and of course from the political – both left and right. Kim Beck’s drawings from the series “Everything Must Go” are the precious versions of their printed and handwritten counterparts currently overwhelming the commercial landscape. As unique hand-drawn pieces, they signal the more personal repercussions of the economic collapse on the employees who make or hang these ever-perky, ever-optimistic signs. These signs announce an amazing, momentous, but also catastrophic, clearance event. Máximo González’s meticulously made collage-murals are entirely constructed of devalued currency. The work conflates the “political machine” with the reality of the “economic machine” that bankrupts developing nations. Kenneth Tin-Kin Hung’s own website announces art+design+activism. In a John Heartfield-meets-Monty Python style, his animated, neon-hued, cut- and-paste montages gleefully skewer all politicians from all sides, including President Obama, Hillary Clinton,Timothy Geithner, Joe Biden, Dick Cheney, President Bush, Valerie Jarrett, Felipe Calderón, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Vladimir Putin, Benazir Bhutto and Kim Jong-Il to name a few. Michael Patterson-Carver’s brightly colored drawings feature placard-carrying protestors from his “We Need Work” series illustrating optimism in activism. In his artist statement, Patterson-Carver says “In the course of my life and activism, I have learned a few things- including the fact that in order to succeed at anything the first step you must take is to BELIEVE. This is the reason that everyone in my demonstration scenes is smiling- they are confident of success.”

During the opening reception, Máximo González’s alternative/informal economy project El Changarrito will be situated outside the front of the gallery. The changarrito is a small push cart, likened to that often seen in Mexico (or the streets of Chicago for that matter) that sell various items from fresh fruit to black market goods. As a means of intervention or critique, González’s Changarrito has been situated in front of major art fairs, museums, and flea markets –most recently the Venice Biennale– using it both as a platform for emerging artists as well as a satire of the art market. This time around, El Changarrito will feature the work of Jacob Goudreault and Robert Reinard, two local emerging artists without gallery representation. 100% of sales from El Changarrito go directly to the artists.

Filmmakers today have new tools available to tell their stories and realize their vision, from cheaper digital cameras to the latest 3D technology. But how they tell their stories is also being affected by other changes – the rise of short-form and user-generated content online; video gaming; interactive technologies and virtual worlds allowing for more audience participation and soon, Twitter is launching a television show where the outcome can be influenced by audience tweets. Many audiences are also expanding their approach, no longer just making a film, but rather making a project of which a film is just one component of many. Hear how storytelling is changing from leaders in the field.

Panelists include Thomas Allen Harris, filmmaker and founder of Chimpanzee Productions, currently working on the multi-media documentary project Through a Lens Darkly; Jay Randolph, activist and video blogger aka Jay Smooth; Nina Paley, filmmaker and former cartoonist and Kenneth Tin-Kin Hung, visual artist whose work is at once socially-conscious and irreverent. Moderated by Kelly DeVine, Artistic Director of the Global Peace Film Festival and consultant to Tribeca Film Institute’s web-based initiative Reframe.

Today’s visionary storytellers employ the latest media tools and formats, no longer confined to film and theaters. The way they tell their stories has been shaped by the rise of short-form and user-generated content, video games, and virtual worlds that invite audience participation. At the same time, audiences are expanding their role by contributing pieces that collectively define larger, interactive projects.

Info:
Tuesday, September 22  7:00 PM
The New School’s Wollman Hall – Eugene Lang Building, 65 West 11th Street, 5th Floor (Enter at 66 West 12th Street)
Free -  No tickets or reservations required
More Info:
http://www.tribecafilminstitute.org/home/about/59463737.html

A new panel series, “New Visions for Film and Media Arts,” launches this fall, co-sponsored by the Tribeca Film Institute and the Department of Media Studies and Film at The New School, inviting leaders from the field of film and digital media production, financing and distribution to present and discuss the current and future trends of where film and media production are heading. Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff founded the Tribeca Film Institute in the wake of September 11th to educate, entertain, and inspire filmmakers and film lovers alike. The Institute creates innovative programs that draw on the power of film to promote understanding, tolerance and global awareness. TFI also supports the cultural and economic revitalization of New York City and Lower Manhattan through arts-based initiatives.

http://openmuseum.berkeley.edu/media/files/Kenneth_Hung/46

This time rather than showing the video on HDTV, we will project the video with a very nice HD Projector so please come and check it out!

July 7 – August 8, 2009

Opening reception Tuesday, July 7   6-8pm

Gallery 2

KENNETH TIN-KIN HUNG

“In G.O.D. We Trust”

“In G.O.D. We Trust” (G.O.D. is a stand-in for Global Obama Domination) is a new digital video by Kenneth Tin-Kin Hung. Born in Hong Kong and now living in New York,  Hung has been called “the John Heartfield of the digital era.” His meticulously researched collages and animations composed entirely of imagery appropriated from the web deliver a biting political satire. “In G.O.D. We Trust” presents global and domestic challenges facing the new Obama administration with the savior president cast as different deities (Jesus Christ, Mohammad, Krishna, prophet Abraham, Yoruba Orisha Trickster God Elegua/Eshu, Buddha, and Guadalupe). In addition to the video, a large outdoors banner of “Buddha Siddartha Obama” will hang on the gallery’s façade.

Simultaneously In Gallery 1 we will be presenting “The Thousand and One  Nights” – a show of contemporary artists from Palestine curated by Mary Evangelista with Michael Connor