Tenth Anniversary Short Films - Textual Descriptions
Film Ten
December 2009
Pearls of Wisdom by FrenchMottershead
Film Description:
In this 'Pearls of Wisdom' video, advisers from various sectors of society offer wise words, which were originally spoken by the Live Art Development Agency, during meetings with FrenchMottershead.
Film Nine
November 2009
So, err... by Blast Theory
Film Description:
The recording you hear is of a phone call made in September 2009 as part of You Get Me, a mixed reality game commissioned by the Royal Opera House. Jack is talking to a player of the game about his future. The video is of a rain storm on the motorway between Taichung and Taipei.
Film Eight
October 2009
Robin Deacon presents 'The Performance Pack' to a group of unergraduate students by Robin Deacon
Film Description:
This video sees Robin Deacon present the lecture style performance 'The Performance Pack' to a group of his second-year undergradutaute students. The film depicts his students either disengaged from his performative lecture or engaged in studying more traditional aspects of theatre to humorous effect...
Film Seven
September 2009
Is it Live? by motiroti
Film Description:
This video is an attempt at expressing Ali Zaidi's practice as Artistic Director of motiroti in relationship to the Live Art Development Agency and Live Art.
This video includes over 1000 portraits taken as part of various motiroti projects since 1999. As words relating to and questioning Live Art move across the screen, we hear Ali Zaidi's voice creating an aural montage of these words.
Film Six
July 2009
They Never Stop Working, Even When You Kiss Them by Oreet Ashery
Film Description:
Oreet Ashery, as her performance character After Shabbtai Zvi enters the offices of the Live Art Development Agency and proceeds to kiss each staff member, and then suck their fingers. This surreal action is interspersed with Shabbtai kissing a fish in a public intervention, re-creating one of the false Messiah's so-called 'Strange Acts'.
Film Five
June 2009
I have never loved you more by Curious
Film Description:
Woman in blue dress cycles through a sun lit palm grove. She smiles lovingly into the camera. Romantic up beat music plays in the background.
V.O : Ten Years! Can you believe it?
Remember those early years?
So full of hope and promise - of crazy beautiful dreams!
And here we are…
In slow motion we see the woman cycle towards then past the camera shot into a setting sun.
V.O: An anniversary is a time to reflect – on all the things you have made possible.
Now we cut to the woman running along the beach. She carries her sandals in her hand and runs barefoot, laughing playfully at the camera.
V.O To celebrate your steadfastness, your wisdom, your openness, your support.
The camera pans over one set of footprints in the sand.
V.O You have always been there for me and when I look back on our journey together I know that the times I could only see one set of footprints in the sand – those were the times you carried me.
In a slow motion close up the woman smiles broadly at the camera and turns her head slowly. The sunlight glistens on her blue sunglasses.
V.O: I feel so lucky to have you in my life.
The woman sips a lemongrass lychee martini and smiles at the camera.
V.O Happy Anniversary Live Art Development Agency.
Against the shadow of tall trees the sun sets over the sea in an orange glow as the music fades out.
Film Four
May 2009
Why I make art in 60 seconds by Stacy Makishi
Film Description:
This film shows Stacy Makishi trying to explain her motivations for making art against the clock, complete with animation and subtitles.
Film Three
April 2009
SELF-HANG by Aaron Williamson
Film Description:
This short film shows the artist substituting dead wall-art with his own living person by flinging himself, daredevil-style, to ‘hang’ on the Gallery wall.
Film Two
March 2009
Masking by George Chakravarthi
Film Description:
Masking is an investigation of the visual creation and identification of archetypal and racially motivated images in pornography.
In this last year, I have been researching the act of ‘masking’. Masking is a form of dehumanisation of the self. It’s primary concern in the context of pornography is to disguise and conceal ones’ identity and personality. It allows the ‘masker’ to create and manipulate multiple personas, forms and racial and gender identities. Masking is different from transvestism or transgenderism as it can only be accepted and engaged with privately or in specialist clubs or indeed with other maskers. One could compare these creations to sex dolls, which is where the practice of masking derives from.
I am currently engaged in researching pornographic images of the ‘exotic’ through my current persona Johnny Shekontai. As Johnny, I am particularly making work that concerns classified images of black and Asian men in gay porn.
This short film of ‘The Blonde’ and ‘The Black Diva’ is a study of some of the reoccurring stereotypes in pornography.
Film One
February 2009
The Live Art Generation Game by Susannah Hewlett
"Live Art is the name of the game and I wanna play the game with you......"
Credits:
Filmed by Kim Noble.
Voice over: Peter Beck.
Music: Robin Forrest.
Sound mix: Simon Keep.
Set and Technical Assistant: Gino Saccone.
With thanks to Carmen Saccone and Tom Johnson.
Film Description:
Like much of Hewlett's work the The Live Art Generation Game subverts an emblematic moment from popular culture.
It hijacks the climactic challenge from the bygone Saturday night television game-show - The Generation Game - where the contestant must memorise as many prizes as possible seen passing before them on a conveyer belt.
In this version there is an abrupt substitution. Potential prizes are replaced with a distilled selection of stereotypical opportunities that mirror what live artists might hope to attain at some point in their career; some of the prizes reflecting the support and resources available from The Live Art Development Agency.
The prizes range from high status achievements to more fantastical daydreams - each with their own visual representation. For example, "Life long support from a mystery benefactor" is symbolised by a framed photo of what appears to be Peter Stringfellow with his eyes blacked out. "A two-year Grants for the Arts award from Arts Council England, London" sees a wad of cash perched on top of a gold satin mound.
All the prizes balance crudely on plastic trays - satin display stands offering some sort of token grandeur to the low budget set. An accompanying voice-over lists the items while a female artist tries her best to memorise as many as possible, knowing that her career depends on it.
"Everything you remember you will take home with you tonight...."
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