A film program curated by Renske Janssen and Nicolaus Schafhausen for the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2007.

Witte de With presents a film series in five parts that reveals the underlying thematic strands of Witte de With’s 2007 program: the quest for identity, an exploration of body politics and the mechanics of manipulation in the art world and beyond. In this way, the film series Depiction, perversion, repulsion, obsession, subversion can be seen as an extended trailer, giving a taste of things to come.

One of the questions this series would like to address is the character of analysis and investigation by contemporary visual artists into the cinematographic medium and its context, the cinema setting. What are the critical aspects in their approach? Are they attempting to subvert – or indeed pervert – the established categories of classification? And what lies between the two extremes? How can we read these different artistic approaches against the backdrop of current genre-crossovers, commercial orders and the cinematographic tradition itself?

The series will be centred around works by artists recently shown at Witte de With or soon to be presented there. A selection of over 30 titles (predominantly shorts) will be formatted into a compilation program in five parts. At least 10 artists will also be present to introduce their work in a Q&A format and some of them will join a panel discussion organized to conclude the program on Friday 2nd February.

Participating artists: Marc Bauer (CH), Johanna Billing (SE), Lonnie van Brummelen (NL) and Willem de Rooij (NL), Gerard Byrne (IRE), Keren Cytter (ISR), Jennifer Allora (US) and Guillermo Calzadilla (US), Runa Islam (UK), Matias Faldbakken (NO), Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard (UK), Jesper Just (DK), Kai Kaljo (EST), Klara Liden (SE), Erik van Lieshout (NL), Ursula Mayer (AU), Sarah Morris (US), Melvin Moti (NL), Tuan Andrew Nguyen (VIE), Marcel Odenbach (DE), Chloe Piene (US), Mark Raidpere (EST), Aïda Ruilova (US), Margaret Salmon (UK/US), Kevin Schmidt (CA), Jeremy Shaw (CA), Markus Schinwald (AU), Matt Stokes (UK), Richard T. Walker (UK), Emily Wardill (UK), Clemens von Wedemeyer (DE) and Jordan Wolfson (US/DE).

Program
Also see the + Events for more detailed information per part.
Names are subject to confirmation.

Monday 29 January, 4 - 6pm
Part I with special guest: Marcel Odenbach.

The works of Marcel Odenbach (b. 1953, Cologne, DE) combine video, found footage and cinematic references and are a highly personal response to his recent visits to South Africa, Cameroon, Rwanda and Ghana. His films have been read as mosaics of human dreams, fears and hopes.

Introduction by Renske Janssen / Nicolaus Schafhausen, 5 min.
Männergeschichten 2. Young Guys, 2005, Sweden, DVD, 10 min.
Deutschstunde, 2006, DVD, 7 min.
Marcel Odenbach in conversation with Nicolaus Schafhausen. 20 min.
Innere Sicherheit, 2002, DVD, 8:40 min.
In still waters crocodiles lurk, 2004, DVD, 31:20 min.
Marcel Odenbach in conversation with Nicolaus Schafhausen. 30 min.

Tuesday 30 January, 4 - 6 pm
Part II with guests Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard, Kai Kaljo, Ursula Mayer, Margaret Salmon.

Introduction by Renske Janssen / Nicolaus Schafhausen, 5 min.
Clemens von Wedemeyer, Occupation, 2001-2002, 35 mm, 8 min.
Clemens von Wedemeyer, Making of Occupation, 2001-2002, DVD, 12 min.
Richard T. Walker, Everything but me and you, 2005, DVD, 6 min.
Margaret Salmon, Peggy, 2003, DVD, 13:30 min
Followed by Q&A, 10 min.
Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard, Walking after Acconci (Redirected Approaches), 2005, DVD, 24 min.
Followed by Q&A, 10 min.
Keren Cytter, Continuity, 2005. 16 mm, 4:50 min.
Lonnie van Brummelen & Willem de Rooij, I Frenatori, 1997, 16 mm, 3 min.
Ursula Mayer, Interiors, 2006, 16 mm, 3:10 min.
Followed by Q&A, 10 min.
Kai Kaljo, In/Out, 2005, DVD, 9:16 min.
Followed by Q&A, 10 min.

Wednesday 31 January, 4 - 6 pm
Part III with guests Kai Kaljo and Mark Raidpere.

Introduction by Renske Janssen / Nicolaus Schafhausen, 5 min.
Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla, Sweat Glands, Sweat Lands, 2006, DVD, 9:21 min.
Aïda Ruilova, It had no feelings, 2003, DVD, 2 min.
Chloe Piene, Black Mouth, 2004, DVD, 3:36 min.
Marc Bauer, Anteferno II, 2002, DVD, 6:25 min.
Mark Raidpere, Ten Men, 2003, DVD, 9 min.
Followed by Q&A, 10 min.
Kai Kaljo, Babyklappe, 2006, DVD, 4 min.
Followed by Q&A, 10 min.
Aïda Ruilova, Life Like, 2006, DVD, 5 min.
Jeremy Shaw, 7 Minutes, 2002, DVD, 6 min.
Klara Liden, Paralyzed, 2003, DVD, 4 min.
Erik van Lieshout, Rock, 2006, DVD, 27 min.

Thursday 1 February, 4 - 6 pm
Part IV with guests Kevin Schmidt and Gerard Byrne.

Introduction by Renske Janssen / Nicolaus Schafhausen, 5 min.
Matt Stokes, Long after tonight, 2005, DVD, 6.45 min.
Runa Islam, Be The First To See What You See As You See It, 2004, 16 mm, 7:23 min.
Kevin Schmidt, Sad Wolf, 2005, DVD, 4:11 min.
Followed by Q&A, 10 min.
Gerard Byrne, Homme à Femmes (Michel Debrane), 2004, DVD, 38 min.
Followed by Q&A, 10 min.
Melvin Moti, Top Legs, 2005, DVD, 14 min.
Markus Schinwald, Ten in Love, 2005, DVD, 5 min.
Johanna Billing, Magical World, 2005, DVD, 6:12 min.
Tuan Andrew Nguyen, Spray It, Don’t Say It, 2006, DVD, 20 min.

Friday 2 February, 4 – 6 pm
Part V with guests Emily Wardill, Clemens von Wedemeyer, Jordan Wolfson.

Introduction by Renske Janssen / Nicolaus Schafhausen, 5 min.
Matias Faldbakken, Black Screen, 2005, DVD, 1 min.
Sarah Morris, Miami, 2004, DVD, 27:30 min.
Jordan Wolfson, Infinite Melancholy, 2003, DVD, 4 min.
Followed by Q&A, 10 min.
Emily Wardill, Basking in what feels like “an ocean of grace”, I soon realise that I’m not looking at it, but rather that I AM it, recognising myself, 2006, 16 mm, 6 min.
Followed by Q&A, 10 min.
Jesper Just, Something to Love, 2004, DVD, 8:10 min.

panel discussion
The films will be followed by a panel discussion examining the critical use of cinematographic tools such as sound, editing and the mechanics of manipulation (45 min).
With guest speakers Emily Wardill, Clemens von Wedemeyer, Jordan Wolfson, moderated by Renske Janssen.