January 31–May 22, 2016
From January 31 to May 22, 2016, EYE presents the exhibition Close-Up—A New Generation of Film and Video Artists in the Netherlands. This group exhibition features numerous recent film and video works and spatial installations by a new generation of filmmakers and artists in the Netherlands, who are breaking down the barriers between film, video, and visual art.
Participating artists/ filmmakers:
Melanie Bonajo (1978), Felix Burger (1982), Helen Dowling (1982), Zachary Formwalt (1979), Hamza Halloubi (1982), Mariska de Groot (1982), Cristóbal León & Joaquín Cociña (1980 & 1980), Amos Mulder (1982), Florian & Michael Quistrebert (1976 & 1982), Janis Rafa (1984), belit sağ (1980), Joris Strijbos & Matthijs Munnik (1981 & 1989), Lichun Tseng (1979), David Verbeek (1980)
Dutch film and video art has undergone significant development in recent years. A productive climate has been created in which film-makers and artists with both national and international roots can work and enjoy high-quality education. That has spawned a new generation of prolific makers who demonstrate that the barriers between film, video, and visual art are of little relevance. What unites these individuals is the natural way they incorporate moving image into their work—whether it be video on a single screen, on multiple screens, or as part of a large-scale spatial installation. While artists in previous decades had to battle to use moving images, today it is a medium just like any other tool or technique at their disposal. It is striking that at a time when images have become ubiquitous, many artists feel a need to create images themselves, manipulate existing images, or adopt them for their own ends.
The exhibition offers an impression of the broad spectrum of developments and artistic approaches to the medium of film/video, at a time when there are no longer any dominant movements but, rather, a dynamic and varied range of tendencies. For example, in her performative videos Melanie Bonajo examines the changing relationship of modern man to his surroundings and looks at enigmatic rituals. In his work Zachary Formwalt studies the complex relationship between history, economy, and image production. And in similarly surprising images, Janis Rafa shows catastrophes whose causes remain a mystery. Also on display are films that evoke sensual illusions by powerfully manipulating image and sound (Amos Mulder, Helen Dowling), alongside installations where sound and light constitute key elements (Mariska de Groot).
In the work of belit sağ, video offers the perfect medium for her community engagement. Her poetic meditations establish a direct link between the characteristic features of the medium and her reflections on the current situation in the Islamic world. Hamza Halloubi presents an installation made up of a video, a painting, a photograph and a book. He deploys these elements to tell a non-linear story in which each individual part provokes new interpretations. Also included are artists who study human perception (Strijbos and Munnik), artists who push to the limits the tension between high brow and low brow (Quistrebert brothers), and artists who create a universe all of their own (Felix Burger, Cristóbal León & Joaquín Cociña). Further, the exhibition includes striking installations by makers who are mainly active in cinema. For example, Lichun Tseng pays tribute to 16mm film in what for her is a totally new museum setting, and there is an impressive new installation by filmmaker David Verbeek.
Research Lab
Every two weeks EYE invites one of the Dutch art academies to present work by talented students in a special Research Lab, which forms part of the exhibition space. The students organize an opening performance, and the presentation then remains on display for two weeks.
Parallel programme
In conjunction with Close-Up, The One Minutes invited artists Felix Burger, Janis Rafa, Helen Dowling, and Melanie Bonajo to each compile a series of one-minute films. The series will premiere at EYE during an entire evening’s programme put together by the group. Further, EYE is hosting an evening with new Dutch short films, screened in collaboration with the International Film Festival Rotterdam.
