May 18 2007

Expanded Cinema/Media Installation artists, Joe Kelly and Christophe Runné join forces to present new works at the InterUrban Gallery in May.

Cinemachinations is an exhibition of recent works by installation/expanded cinema artists, Joe Kelly and Christophe Runne.

Exploring the physical properties of time based media Cinemachinations examines the ways in which moving images are created and projected, and utilizes large-scale projections to elevate the marginalized to the status of the elite.

Muybridge, Zoetropes, flipbooks, Classical Portraiture and the Dutch Masters inform the works in this dual exhibition of cinematic machines.

Aeroscope, Tyrachoscope, and Autoscope are viewer activated pre-cinema devices/objects. These works are from a series of film installations where the presentation device is created and the film that it contains is dedicated solely to the device. The combination of the media and the object forms a unified idea. The technology is aware of the media and the media is a response to the device. The device is meant to display a craft of technology, which often references pre-cinema devices where the technologist had to first create an apparatus in order to explore their field of study. Kelly’s’ devices are updated and contemporized to contain more frames and information (resolution) and incorporates contemporary ideas about (digital) technology.

Portraits is a projected installation comprised of a series of portraits of DTEs residents – invisible to society as individuals until painted by the broad brush of the media. Combining classical portraiture (with an overt allusion to the Dutch Masters), and the dual headshot commonly associated with police mugshots, the installation attempts to “Put faces to” some of the individuals who reside in Vancouver’s most disputed neighbourhood.

This work questions who is "worthy" of portraiture, while transforming formerly nameless and faceless individuals, who are often passed off as mere addicts or criminals, into familiar faces that we know or recognize much in the same way a face in advertising or the media becomes a familiar, even trusted part of our social identity. ‘Portraits’ was created by Christoph Runné Many thanks to the Residents of the Portland Hotel for their participation in the project, and to Pam Fairfield.

Joe Kelly is a media artist living and working in Calgary. Joe has made a number of films that have been screened and awarded internationally. He works primarily with film, and has completed and screened many film and video projects. He has also created film and video based installations that have been shown in galleries around Canada, from Halifax to Victoria, all over the United States, in Europe, and in Asia. Joe has also shown work at the Images Festival, Ann Arbor Film Festival, Black Maria Film Festival, PS1, Confederation Centre for the Arts, Neutral Ground, New Gallery, and Truck Gallery.

Christoph Runné is an experimental filmmaker and video artist. His work has been shown in many countries, including Germany, Sweden, Spain, and Canada. He teaches a Experimental Film and Video class at the lifeskills center. Recent works include “Portraits” a permanent public Art video installation and River Run, an interactive collaboration with aboriginal Canadian artists.

Join us in the innovative exhibition that pushes the boundaries of the cinematic experience.
Opening reception
Friday, May 18th
InterUrban Gallery
1 East Hastings
7pm to 10pm