Tacita Dean's FILM Installation Debuts in Los Angeles
··2 min read
Tacita Dean's monumental installation FILM, originally commissioned for the Tate Modern in London, is now on display at the Marciano Art Foundation in Los Angeles. The 11-minute silent film, projected onto a 31-foot-tall column, showcases Dean's commitment to the materiality of film. The installation debuted in the United States on January 14, 2023, in the Theater Gallery at the Marciano Art Foundation.
The film is a stark contrast to the digital imagery prevalent in social media. Dean's work emphasizes the physicality of film, with grainy, flickering images mottled by dust and interrupted by flashes of overexposure. The projector's low whirring and the reflection of light off the polished floor create an immersive experience. The film's subject matter includes cathedral windows and vine-ripe tomatoes, evoking a sense of vitality and sensuality.
The installation is achieved by turning an anamorphic lens 90 degrees, creating a towering, vertical image that looms like a colossal doorway in the dark. Sprocket holes that advance the celluloid through a projector border the composition, turning the screen into a massive film strip. This approach underscores Dean's belief that transitioning from film to digital would mean changing artistic mediums completely, as it involves more than just emulsion versus pixels or light versus electronics.
Dean argues that the shift from film to digital is not merely a technical change but a deeper transformation that affects the poetic essence of the medium. The installation invites viewers to contemplate the tactile and sensory qualities of film, offering a respite from the slick, frictionless stream of digital imagery.
FILM is part of a broader exhibition at the Marciano Art Foundation that explores the intersection of art and technology. The foundation is known for its commitment to showcasing innovative and thought-provoking artworks that challenge conventional notions of art and its creation. The exhibition runs until April 15, 2023.
