The Vasulka Effect projection and Celebration
You are cordially invited to the screening of the documentary about Woody and Steina Vašulka.
Woody Vasulka celebration
Woody Vasulka, the trailblazing artist, filmmaker, and educator who cofounded the experimental New York–based nonprofit the Kitchen with his partner, Steina Vasulka, in 1971, died on December 20. He was eighty-two years old. Over the course of his career, Vasulka embraced and advanced the emerging medium of video art, and through the opening of the Kitchen, he helped launch the careers of numerous artists, including Vito Acconci, Laurie Anderson, Robert Longo, and Kiki Smith.
Their history with video dates back to the late 60 ́s when they lived and worked in New York. Some have called them "the grandparents of the YouTube generation”, or “grandparents of video art”, seem forgotten by the art world. With humor and serenity, they are struggling with finances and how to leave their media archives to the world. We start to understand the major impact video had on art and society from the 60 ́s until now, a period referred to as the second renaissance, where media art contributed to the decentralization of art and corporate media. With only a handful of allies we see them being rediscovered by art collectors and museums. The life and work of pioneers of video art Steina and Woody Vasulka. Their history with video dates back to the late 60 ́́s when they lived and worked in New York. Some have called them the grandparents of the “YouTube generation”, or “grandparents of video art”, seem forgotten by the art world. With humor and serenity, they are struggling with finances and how to leave their media archives to the world. We start to understand the major impact video had on art and society from the 60 ́s until now, a period referred to as the second renaissance, where media art contributed to the decentralization of art and corporate media. With only a handful of allies we see them being rediscovered by art collectors and museums.
The Vasulka Effect
Czechia / Iceland
2019, 87 min
Directed by Hrafnhildur Gunnarsdóttir