Visual art exhibitions and events with a platform for critical writing
S1 Artspace, Sheffield
26 January, 9 and 23 February
Reviewed by: Bianca Winter
‘Salon’ is a season of screenings organised by S1 Artspace in Sheffield. Selected from submissions to an open international call and screened in three parts at S1 Artspace, ‘Salon’ is composed of films created by artists all over the world and includes an impressive array of cinematographic technique.
Morten Larsen assaults the senses in a video-game explosion of still images and digital vistas, collaged and choreographed into an action-packed, irreverent and sometimes irritating stop-motion animation. Backed by a soundtrack that transports us to the arcade, Fruit juice sunbathing is an interesting foray into possibilities of two-dimensional perspective and visual space. Esther Johnson constructs a nostalgic picture of the Hotel Lenox using a series of images showing details of what we presume to be the hotel, accompanied by three different narrators embellishing the history of the place. In Lenox the images curiously oscillate between stillness and movement; there is little action to be captured on film, and therefore the footage has a gentle pace and gives an impression of absence. Timekilling appropriates action footage from classic western films. Lela Budde layers this footage with a carefully composed film of a nurse providing medical aid to the injured gunfight victims, shifting the focus from the heroic protagonist and encouraging the viewer to reinterpret familiar scenes.
An injection of humour always comes as a welcome relief and this screening has its fair share. Gun Holmström displays dancing ASCII-text characters across a backdrop of dance floor in his light-hearted Disco tonight? As HK 119 Heidi KilpelÄinen amuses us with her 80s glam-rock style music videos Excess and Malfunction. Catherine Ross dissects footage of a game show Fingering and footing to display the unconscious gestures of the contestants alongside the deliberate movements of the hosts, with upbeat music to highlight the theatrical and expressive.
Ironically, the screening is not without a critique of the act of watching. In Remote control Sladjan Nedeljkovic presents a discourse on the nature of media and technology through a textual conversation played out over a series of televised images, which are distorted just enough to allow the text dominion. The soundtrack makes this gentle and hypnotic viewing that is simultaneously at odds with and supportive of the antagonistic message.
‘Salon’ showcases a range of approaches to film: showing both historical and contemporary documentary films alongside experimental moving image work, combined with a critical reflection of existing film. ‘Salon’ is both enjoyable and challenging.
Writer detail:
Bianca Winter
hello@bianca.org.uk |
www.bianca.org.uk
Venue detail:
S1 Artspace
Units 4A-6B Trafalgar Court, Milton Street, Sheffield S1 4JU
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