Part of Science on Screen 2023
Wed, Apr 26 at 8:00pm: Post-screening discussion with artist and filmmaker Jonathan Rattner, Associate Professor of Cinema & Media Arts and Art at Vanderbilt University and premiere of "Big Sister" an original video art installation from Kari Leigh “Bunny” Ames, Dylan Simon, and Fjolla Hoxha on view in the lobby the evening of the screening | BUY TICKETS
The father of video art and coiner of the term “electronic superhighway,” Nam June Paik was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Born in Japan-occupied Korea, Paik studied as a classical musician before moving to Germany in the 1950s. Forever changed after encountering avant-garde composer John Cage, Paik became a member of the influential experimental art movement Fluxus, which created new forms of art and performance. Eventually immigrating to the U.S., he became fully engaged with television and video art in a way that would revolutionize how the world thinks of image-making in the electronic age.
First-time feature director Amanda Kim tells the remarkable story of Paik as a citizen of the world and trailblazing artist, who both saw the present and predicted the future with astonishing clairvoyance. With Steven Yeun reading Paik’s own written words — showcasing the artist’s strategic playfulness and immense creativity — NAM JUNE PAIK: MOON IS THE OLDEST TV is a celebration of perhaps the most modern artist of all time. (Synopsis from the Sundance Film Festival 2023 program guide)
“Every so often, you’ll see a portrait-of-the-artist documentary that’s so beautifully made, about a figure of such unique fascination, whose art is so perfectly showcased by the documentary format, that when it’s over you can’t believe the film hadn’t existed until now. It feels, in its way, essential. NAM JUNE PAIK: MOON IS THE OLDEST TV is like that.” —Owen Gleiberman, Variety “Kim’s realization of Paik’s life successfully digs into the how and why of Paik. NAM JUNE PAIK is the portrait of a man who influenced countless new artists around the world, and, maybe more importantly, is a film that understands and shares the importance of art to a society’s health.” —Rachel Ho, POV Magazine
Topic:
Materiality and Technology
Rattner will speak about the influence of Paik on his work for the past 20 years and what we can still learn from Paik and his practice, particularly his openness to collaborating with others, his humor, and his exploration of allowing materials to work on their own terms.
About the Speaker:
Jonathan Rattner is an artist and filmmaker who primarily produces experimental nonfiction films and videos. Rattner’s current projects include a multimedia nonfiction database featuring refugees living in Nashville and experimental audio-video works involving bio sonification devices. He has exhibited work in galleries, microcinemas, festivals, and universities internationally, including the Whitechapel Gallery in London, Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Centre of Contemporary Arts in Glasgow, Anthology Film Archives in New York, and the Ann Arbor Film Festival in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Rattner holds an M.F.A in Film and Video Production from the University of Iowa, an M.F.A. in Intermedia Art from the University of Iowa, and a B.F.A. in Film and Television from Tisch School for the Arts, N.Y.U. He holds the position of Associate Professor of Cinema & Media Arts and Art at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.
Featuring:
The premiere of “Big Sister,” an original video art installation from Kari Leigh “Bunny” Ames, Dylan Simon, and Fjolla Hoxha on view in the lobby the evening of NAM JUNE PAIK: MOON IS THE OLDEST TV.
“‘Big Sister’ explores the interplay between surveillance and feedback. It posits a realm where the female gaze is (in lieu) the lens through which power structures operate. It speaks to the dehumanization of complex beings through self-scrutiny in a world dominated by cameras and screens.”
About the Artists:
Kari Leigh “Bunny” Ames is a multimedia designer and technician with a focus in video installations.
Dylan Simon uses anachronistic media as a vehicle for his multi-disciplinary artistic work.
Fjolla Hoxha works as a cross-media performance artist creating site-specific participatory performances that are informed by individual and collective memory.
