April 8–May 11, 2016
Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Andrea Luka Zimmerman, Laurie Anderson, Rebecca Horn, Akram Zaatari, Lynn Hershman Leeson, Lewis Klahr, Pere Portabella, Melanie Bonajo, Maria Lassnig, Darcy Lange, Laida Lertxundi, Bruce Baillie, Hila Peleg and women’s expanded cinema from the London Film-Makers’ Co-op
Tate Film’s cinema programme is a stage for unique encounters with film in all its forms, and a site where artists can experiment with new ways of presenting their work. The 2016 cinema programme explores, challenges and asserts the place of the moving image within the museum of the 21st century. Structured into three regular strands—Pioneers, Artists’ Cinema and Counter-Histories—Tate Film’s cinema programme brings together works form different traditions of cinematic and artistic practice, further expanding the boundaries between art and the moving image.
Pioneers
The Pioneers series presents retrospectives of filmmakers and artists whose works have proposed new approaches to cinema. This strand anchors the cinema programme, showcasing seminal works that challenge the distinctions between established categories of practice, including feature, experimental, artists’, ethnographic and essay film as well as documentary and animation.
The 2016 Pioneers series launches with a retrospective of the works of Thai artist-filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul. Inaugurating the newly refurbished Starr Cinema, this programme includes a lecture and a special all-night screening of the artist’s features, short films, advertisements and trailers. This presentation precedes the June opening of Weerasethakul’s Primitive installation in The Tanks. Together, these two moments epitomise Tate Film’s approach to creating an art experience within the cinema and a cinema experience within the gallery. This programme is followed by retrospectives of the films of German artist Rebecca Horn, Austrian artist Maria Lassnig, New Zealand artist and videomaker Darcy Lange and American filmmaker Bruce Baillie.
Artists’ Cinema
This monthly series presents previews, premieres or unique presentations of works by emerging and established artists, documentarians and experimental filmmakers. Focussed on contemporary forms of moving image practice, Artists’ Cinema is an international stage for artists’ films within the museum.
Several works in this series continue a curatorial thread from 2015’s programme, interrogating both the sites and exhibitionary practices of the museum. Artists include Andrea Luka Zimmerman, Laurie Anderson, Akram Zaatari, Lynn Hershman Leeson, Lewis Klahr, Pere Portabella, Melanie Bonajo, Laida Lertxundi and Hila Peleg.
Counter-Histories
The Counter-Histories series presents thematic programmes that challenge stereotypes of regional and historical movements in film and art history. Programmes in this strand are developed through collaborative research and are aimed at bringing visibility to alternate currents of cinematic practice.
As part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the London Film-Makers’ Co-op, 2016’s Counter-Histories programme draws attention to the significant works of expanded cinema made by women members of the LMFC since the 1970s. This programme is presented alongside LUX and Tate Britain’s monthly Co-op Dialogues series, which continues throughout the year.
Collection display
The Starr Cinema will be the site of a display of artists’ moving image works from the Tate Collection during the opening weekend of the new Tate Modern in June, as well as during weekends in August.
The Tate Film cinema programme is curated by Andrea Lissoni, Senior Curator, International Art (Film) and Carly Whitefield, Assistant Curator, Film. The program is produced by Judith Bowdler, Production Coordinator, Curatorial.
Tate Film is supported by LUMA Foundation.
