Exiles of the Shattered Star at the Hirshhorn
“The Cinema Effect: Illusion, Reality, and the Moving Imageâ€
Part I: “Dreams,†Feb. 14–May 11, 2008
Part II: “Realisms,†June 19–Sept. 7, 2008
The cinema, its technology (including later offshoots like television and the internet) and its vocabulary have permeated contemporary culture to the extent that the very boundaries between “real life†and make-believe are often indistinct—sometimes even indecipherable. “The Cinema Effect†is a two-part exhibition that focuses on contemporary works of art and the ways in which they adapt, challenge or reflect the influence of cinema and its
blurring of definitions of fact and fiction. Both exhibitions include film and media installations by a range of international artists including Omer Fast, Gary Hill, Isaac Julien, Steve McQueen, Tony Oursler, Runa Islam and Kelly Richardson, among others.
The first exhibition, “Dreams,†explores the experience intrinsic to film viewing—the transition from waking to dream-like state—as well as its darker, voyeuristic implications and is organized by chief curator Kerry Brougher and associate curator Kelly Gordon. The second exhibition, “Realisms,†organized by associate curator Anne Ellegood and assistant curator Kristen Hileman, focuses on the question of reality versus illusion that is inherent to film and is a defining issue for our culture and for many artists.
Press release: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden exhibition schedule through 2009
Smithsonian Institution
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Washington, DC
www.hirshhorn.si.edu
