Carlos Amorales: A Film Trilogy
Screening | June 10-11, 2015, 7:30-9:30 pm
This is a past event.
A two-night screening event debuts Mexican artist Carlos Amorales’ recently completed film trilogy.
About the Screening.
Carlos Amorales’ recently completed trilogy will be screened for the first time in its entirety. Following the screening on the second night, Carlos Amorales will be in conversation with Dr. Josh Kun, Associate Professor, USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism.
Screening Schedule
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Amsterdam (2013), Running Time: 21 mins.
A fictional film made from a screenplay written in collaboration with Argentinian author Reinaldo Laddaga. Based on extensive research, the film mobilizes the use of non-semantical languages. The obstruction of understandable language allowed for the actors and the director to improvise when shooting the scenes. As spoken language and text became more and more abstracted through the filming process, the actors’ physical expression became the predominant form of communication. Under these working premises, the act of filmmaking allowed for the creation of an experience of a “state of exception” comparable to a moment of social anarchy.
The Man Who Did All Things Forbidden (2014), Running Time: 40 mins.
Inspired by the novel Estrella Distante by Chilean author Roberto Bolaño, Amorales’s film explores Bolaño’s views of the Chilean avant-garde and revels in the surreal imagery and poetic rhythms of his writings.
Thursday, June 11, 2015
The Eye Me Not (2015), Running Time: 50 mins.
Through the dream of an opium addict, the final film revisits an Inuit myth in which the protagonist has become invisible to the European traders with whom he tries to trade goods. The narrative is intermixed with a rich variety of sources: paintings, costumes, and set designs by Russian Suprematist artist Kazimir Malevich; strains of pedagogical and political theory articulated by Joseph Beuys; and controversial texts by Chilean writer Manuel Serrano. The idea of collage permeates the entire project—the actors themselves used collage cutouts as props and scenic backdrops as they developed a symbolic language of their own, opening new associative and narrative possibilities.
About the Artist.
Carlos Amorales (b. 1970, Mexico) explores issues of identity and cultural heritage through a practice that encompasses drawing, animation, installation, performance, digital graphics, video, and painting. In addition, Amorales is also the co-founder of Nuevos Ricos—a discographic project. Amorales’s work has been the subject of various solo shows at institutions around the world including the Tamayo Museum, Mexico City; Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Rome; Philadelphia Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA; and Tate Modern, London, UK amongst others. His work has also been included in the Shanghai, Berlin, Manifesta, Belgium, Havana, Performa, and Venice Biennials. Amorales’s work is represented in a myriad of renowned public and private collections around the world. He currently lives and works in Mexico City.
Related
Press
June 3, 2015 | The Agenda: This Week in Los Angeles | Art in America
June 9, 2015 | ArtRX LA | Hyperallergic
Credits
Carlos Amorales: A Film Trilogy is organized by TMR and curated by Kris Kuramitsu, TMR Deputy Director and Senior Curator.
TMR's program is made possible with the support of its Board of Directors, Big Mistake Patron Group, International Council, and Contemporary Council.
Special thanks to Magnolia de la Garza and kurimanzutto, Mexico City.
Photo Credit: The Mistake Room. Copyright 2015. The Mistake Room Inc.