E-flux Provides Influx of New Video Art
April 13, 2007
Video art is normally only considered part of the high art world and typically can only be found within the confines of museums like the Institute of Contemporary Art in downtown Boston. A couple of artists are working to change this perception, however. Anton Vidokle and Julieta Aranda created the e-flux video rental project, or EVR, to return video art to its mass distribution potential. The aim of the project, held in the Sert Gallery of Harvard University’s Carpenter Center from February 8 through March 13, 2007, was to provide video art in an accessible format.
Vidolke and Aranda, two New York artists, started the e-flux video rental project out of a small storefront in New York City in 2004. The Electronic Flux Corporation, the project’s sponsor, is “dedicated to world wide distribution of information for contemporary visual arts institutions via the Internet,” according to the bureau’s website. This goal aligned well with the intent of Vidolke and Aranda to make contemporary art more accessible and the project has seen success all over the world, from places like Korea, Germany, and Istanbul. The project provides free rentals of video art on VHS cassettes to Boston residents. With a valid identification card and proof of residency, locals are able to rent up to two videos at a time for two days. There were 143 registered renters but estimates put the actual number of renters closer to 200. According to Amy Lin, an intern at EVR and a Harvard undergrad, the project has been “successful in getting [video art] to a wider audience.”
The current library is a result of all the past shows, as well as the input of the current curator at Harvard University. The range of videos is varied and features works such as “Casual Shopper” by local artist Judith Berry, who is affiliated with MIT, as well as international sensations like Gilbert and George’s “Do it TV.” The selection includes many more artists from around the world, and names and works are added and removed as the show moves from city to city.
EVR also provided screenings to make the works more accessible to the public. Different groups, professors, and even students came and submitted lists of videos to be shown. The screenings were free and open to everyone. I attended the screening hosted by iKatun, an artist-run, not-for-profit organization that works to increase political engagement through different types of contemporary art. The selection was based on works that directly address the audience as well as the appeal of spectacle. The films ranged from a two-minute clip to a thirty-minute video and drew from a wide variety of artists, backgrounds, and time periods. The selection was well balanced and provided a good start for new viewers of video art. The screening fell short of its intended goal of addressing the issue of spectacle, however. The film “How do you say…” was a painful thirty minutes of black background with white text being read out loud by a rambling, sometimes lyrical voice. The artist’s thoughts covered a variety of uncomfortable topics from the war in Iraq to child abuse. The text and voiceover did a good job of posing the question about how we go about addressing the more uncomfortable issues in society but were not interesting enough artistically to make the video engaging. This was the longest video out of the selection and overshadowed the other, better videos selected.
While the venue was a great set up and facilitated discussions, I am not sure the exhibit met the ideals it was designed to achieve. The screening room was the perfect size for the audience and a lively debate ensued after the selection was over. The EVR exhibit was limiting, however, because rather than taking videos out of the institutional setting, it merely set up another institution. The cassettes weren’t reproduced and the exhibits only lasted for a limited time, rather than being permanent installations. With all the mediums available now like YouTube and other video sharing sites, as well as online distribution of videos, there is almost limitless potential for making these videos available to the public.