[-empyre-] beyond screens

[Mayssa Fattouh]

Hi Laura,

I think that most artists who have produced single channel videos have
mainly done so as installations, I'm finding a hard time identifying artists
who approach single video in a gallery context in the way that Hassan Khan
does.
Those who I found are closest to this direction in some of their videos are
Mounir Fatmi, Jayce Salloum, Ahmet Ogut, Sharif Waked...
Over a year ago during the Tate curators workshop, Elisabetta Fabrizi from
the BFI exhibitions had suggested to create an archive of Middle Eastern
artists videos dedicated for the gallery context, the problem was that there
were very few examples that would give life to this project.
Again the gallery system in the Middle East wasn't very developed a few
years ago for many reasons, this again is changing and with it the artists
works. Galleries have now created good contacts with collectors and museums,
the number of galleries showing video is also increasing due also to the
fact that video is very cost efficient for transportation. It is true though
that very few collectors in this region are interested in acquiring video
works as we are still here in the concern of the display.
I wonder if this issue will be discussed in the near future in one of the
art fair forums or other, it would certainly be very beneficial for all.
Thank you Laura for bringing up the subject.

Best,
Mayssa


On Thu, Feb 17, 2011 at 5:14 PM, Laura Marks <lmarks at sfu.ca> wrote:

> Hello Nat, Mayssa, Mirene, Ayah,
>
> This is such an interesting discussion. I have some questions about
> single-channel vs. installation, and distribution. It seems a lot of artists
> are turning to gallery projection where possible (following the
> long-standing example of Hassan Khan, for example) because they want to
> shift from the cinematic context to a gallery one. This has happened in
> Western countries earlier, so there's quite a split between those who
> present work at festivals and distribute them like films, or get picked up
> by distributors, and those who present work at galleries and hope to get
> represented by galleries. The latter I think is more lucrative but more
> difficult to achieve. I recall Hassan Khan saying at Homeworks last summer
> that his work is finally being collected by galleries and museums (he's
> represented by Chantal Crousel), but not being shown--and I think this is
> because it's not distributed as single-channel work.
>
> Do you have some thoughts or other examples?
>
> Laura
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "nat muller" <nat at xs4all.nl>
> To: "soft_skinned_space" <empyre at gamera.cofa.unsw.edu.au>
> Sent: Wednesday, February 16, 2011 6:48:43 AM
> Subject: [-empyre-] beyond screens
>
> dear mirene, ayah and mayssa,
>
> thanks for your great posts!
>
> re: ayah's and mayssa's observation - as well as my own - that the
> dominance of the screen is very prominent and that spatial
> considerations (a.o. in installations, multi-channel, etc) and more
> interactive/participatory media-based work is scarce, was wondering
> about your thoughts why this is the case. do you think this is due to
> a lack in access, resources, financial constraints,..?  perhaps in the
> case of beirut a lack of venues - though now matters might have
> changed with the beirut art centre? or does the prominence of the
> screen mean something different (in the case of lebanon)? i have to
> say that i somehow i have noticed more spatial (media) installations
> in egypt.
>
> looking fwd to your thoughts.
>
> /nat
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-- 
Independent Curator
mayssa.f at gmail.com
Skype mayssafattouh
+97466894029
Doha, Qatar
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