If art can truly be said to imitate life, then in a new age
filled with impending war and other political tensions, museums
have begun to adapt their exhibits to focus on new media such as
film and documentary.
The Santa Monica Museum of Art’s new fall exhibition
titled, “Art and Film in the Age of Anxiety,” uses the
new media to explore sentiments and experiences of contemporary
life and cultures.
Guest curator Chrisse Iles heads the exhibit, consisting of
selections borrowed from the 2002 Whitney Biennial, an earlier
exhibit. In handpicking six films and documentaries, Iles attempted
to create an exhibit that would open the audience’s eyes to a
new world of art.
“The pieces themselves make viewers assess their own sense
of identity and place,” said Lisa Melandri, deputy director
of SMMoA. “It makes them think globally and about their own
limitations and comfort levels with other cultures as well as with
their own culture.”
The six pieces, aiming to educate viewers, are comprised of
everything from a few 12- to 15-minute documentaries to an
80-minute film. Having film and documentary media in an art gallery
generates a plenitude of global topics.
Some artists, such as Bosmat Alon and Tirtza Even, documented
the physical and psychological terrain of a Palestinian refugee
camp, while Jeremy Blake took an abstract view of architecture in
his documentary. Irit Batsry makes use of a kaleidoscope view of
southern India in his film “These are Not My Images (Neither
There Nor Here).”
“All of the exhibits play off each other as they entice
the viewer into a new visualistic world,” Melandri said.
“They are as unique and as different as anything can be
““ they offer varied visual experiences which help the viewer
to come into contact with and feel the breadth of the
exhibition.”
A blend of different genres in art often exposes viewers to
numerous stylistic techniques that help them absorb the theme more
quickly and with more depth, according to second-year art student
Keri Connor. By relaying different ideas from the same theme in
opposite styles, the viewer can get a sense of the whole
exhibit.
While SMMoA aims to show eccentric and unique exhibits, this
particular one was originally conceived as the museum hoped to
broaden its artistic realm to bring alternate perspectives from the
world by working with new curators.
The exhibit has even affected the museum itself as its layout
has been modified to the needs of the presentation. It now has six
independent screening rooms where viewers can go and watch the
films and documentaries.
“Along with the changing of our museum, we wanted the
viewers to experience an internal change and realize that so much
work being made in contemporary art is film- and
video-based,” Melandri said. “It furthermore gives the
viewers an opportunity to think about what we define as art, film
and video.”
Tapping into different viewer reactions ““ from humor to
sincerity to political stances ““ the exhibit stretches over
many artistic genres including installations of artistic objects to
accompany the films.
It’s an interesting mix of art styles, according to
second-year business economics student Amrita Grewal.
Usually, when thinking of exhibitions, according to Grewal,
people think of just plain paintings; it’s refreshing to see
galleries making use of different styles.
“The combination of these works is so different it allows
viewers to enter a different world,” Melandri said. “It
shows them how something that has a nonfiction backbone can be
shown in a gallery as a piece of artwork.”
ART GALLERY: “Art and Film in The Age of Anxiety” is
being held at the Santa Monica Museum of Art until Dec. 29, Tuesday
through Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday noon to 5 p.m..
Admission is $5 for members and students, and $8 for general
admission. For more information please call (310) 586-6488.