Curated Exhibitions
LUX
Film As A Subversive Art
Curated by LUX in collaboration with students from the Curating Programme of the Department of Art, Goldsmiths
Rosa Barba, Ellen Cantor, Steve Reinke & James Richards, Francisco Valdés
The project takes as its starting point Amos Vogel’s 1974 book of the same name. Based on Vogel’s encyclopaedic knowledge of cinema, gathered during his formative years as the programmer of the Cinema 16 film society in New York, the book offers a catalogue of ‘subversive’ film which stretches from the artistic avant-garde to mondo movies. Recently reprinted, the book remains tendentious, exhilarating and – above all – optimistic: as Vogel concluded, ‘the subject of this book will always remain on the agenda… these pages are but a rough draft; for the subject of this book is human freedom, and its guardians, at all times and under all circumstances, are the subversives.’ Taking its cue from Vogel, Film As A Subversive Art will examine the contemporary possibilities and limits of filmic subversion.
At Zoo 2009, five artists offer responses to the idea of subversion and the moving image. Each day will feature a different installation by one of the invited artists, which will then leave some residue for the rest of the exhibition. Before, during and after the event, the LUX website will include information about all the artists’ projects, reflections on Vogel’s book and debate around the contemporary character of subversion.
Film As A Subversive Art has been developed in collaboration with six students from the Curating Programme of the Department of Art, Goldsmiths: Catherine Borra, Soledad Garcia,Elea Himmelsbach, Jenine McGaughran, Valentina Ravaglia and Nina Trivedi.
With thanks to Amos Vogel, Steve Vogel & Paul Cronin.
LUX is an international arts agency for the support and promotion of artists’ moving image practice and the ideas that surround it.
SCHEDULE
Friday, 16 October
Ellen Cantor
Saturday, 17 October
Rosa Barba
Sunday, 18 October
Steve Reinke & James Richards
Monday, 19 October
Francisco Valdés