UntitledGuy Ben-Ner
| Nov ’09 | Nov |
| 1 | 22 |
with Artis Contemporary Israeli Art Fund
Artist in conversation with Jon Kessler and RoseLee Goldberg, Nov. 2, 7pm, at Performa Hub
Filmed and edited over the course of twelve months, Israeli artist Guy Ben-Ner will present an unusual “live film,” commissioned by Performa, that captures an ongoing phone conversation between the artist and himself as he flies to and fro between Berlin and Tel Aviv, the respective locations of his girlfriend and his family. Unlike a regular film, which is edited externally after all of the shooting is complete; Ben-Ner’s film never leaves the camera during a twelve-month period. The film always remains “live,” awaiting the next shot, which might take place in either Israel or Germany. Ben-Ner’s “storyboard” is life itself, and each scene occurs in real time, although with significant ellipses in between. Since the only editing is done entirely in-camera, the move from one shot to the next requires a real physical move: the camera traveling the full distance from Tel Aviv to Berlin and back as the dialogue progresses. Shot in Hebrew, and dubbed in English, the film presents a conversation in rhyme, which discusses how art can be at the service of life and the repercussions of such a unified relationship.
Guy Ben-Ner was born in Israel in 1969 and currently lives and works between Berlin and Tel Aviv. Since the early 90s, Ben-Ner has filmed a series of videos starring himself and his family, sometimes using the intimate spaces of their home as ad-hoc set, studio, and fantastical playroom. Mixing sophisticated cinematic devices and crafty, do-it-yourself elements, Ben-Ner’s videos brim with witty cross-references to specific episodes and genres within the histories of cinema, video, and performance. Ben-Ner has been featured in numerous exhibitions internationally, including shows at the Hayward Gallery, London (2008), the ICA Philadelphia (2008), Sculpture Project, Munster (2007), and Musee D’Art Contemporain de Montreal (2007). Ben-Ner represented Israel at the 51 Venice Biennial (2005).
Supported by the Office of Cultural Affairs, Consulate General of Israel. Special thanks to Pera Mediterranean Brasserie, Yarden Wines, and Voss Water.
Looped screenings at the Performa Hub, 10am-8pm
November 1st at 7:45pm, the video will screen once on the CNN billboard in Times Square, as part of the biennial opening day of events.
FREE
