Fri Oct 4, 2024 at 9 PM – Performances
Venue: Black Lodge
Sat Oct 5, 2024 at 2 pm – Artist Talk
Venue: Dave Barber Cinematheque
Admission is free
*donations accepted at the door
Anto(n) Astudillo: TRANS THE MIRROR
TRANS THE MIRROR is Astudillo’s fourth hybrid film and live performance experiment, where they translate into live action what it means to inhabit a trans/queer body in a world that often renders such bodies vulnerable. Using digitized 16mm film and 16mm projection, Astudillo intricately weaves together various visual and auditory narratives, emphasizing the complexities of self-image and gender identity. Drawing on trans theory, particularly the works of scholars like Jack Halberstam, Astudillo challenges the rigid binaries of gender and exposes the performative nature of identity. In moments of live performance, they deconstruct the notion of the ‘authentic’ self, showcasing how identity is shaped by societal narratives, personal experiences, and the media’s gaze. Through physical embodiment and film projection, Astudillo reclaims the narrative, transforming vulnerability into a site of resilience and power. Astudillo’s series of film/performances not only challenge societal limitations on gender but also offer a platform for dialogue, urging viewers to consider the implications of their perceptions and the importance of embracing diverse identities. In doing so, these hybrid experiments become single transformative experiences—which not only highlight the vulnerabilities of trans/queer bodies but also celebrate their strength, resilience, and complexity.
“TRANS THE MIRROR works as a speculation, a question about where one’s old image goes after transitioning, as well as an opportunity to envision our new image and the world that best suits it. Just like in Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll, I often wonder are we Trans individuals offering a new perspective of humanity? One where things don’t work the way they used to, one where we are called to challenge not just gender norms, but all norms?” – Anto(n) Astudillo
Freya Björg Olafson: MÆ – Motion Aftereffect
MÆ – Motion Aftereffect addresses the impact of emerging consumer technologies associated with XR – Extended Reality (AR – Augmented Reality, VR – Virtual Reality, MR – Mixed Reality, 360° video, and spatial computing). The works in the MÆ series are digital collages of motion-capture data, found both online and uniquely generated; ready-made and custom 3D models alongside varied internet-sourced monologues. These first-person monologues describe live experiences of VR gameplay or VR pornography; some recount psychedelic drug explorations and out-of-body experiences, and others outline the how-to’s of astral projection. These intentionally diverse monologues situate virtual technology alongside analog methods of expanding individual perceptions of reality, time, and space. Olafson’s investigation of XR references the Bauhaus (Oskar Schlemmer 1888–1943), the Fluxus Movement (Al Hansen’s 1966 Lettuce Manifesto); Brody Condon’s video game work Adam Killer (1999); and Manifest.AR’s Manifesto for Augmented Reality Art (2011). These manifestos, texts, and artworks offer insight into the digital replication, transference, and translation of human movement to screen(s) and/or stage.
ABOUT ANTO(N) ASTUDILLO
Anto(n) Astudillo (they/he) is a filmmaker, performance artist and curator of trans experience from Wallmapu (Santiago, Chile), currently living in Brooklyn. They work with 16mm film, video and performance to create moving portraits of personal and political themes, navigating interconnections between embodied practices and experimental cinema. Astudillo’s work has screened at festivals such as Film Diary NYC, Ann Arbor Film Festival, IX Festival Dobra, Frontera Sur, Ouray Film Festival, DocMontevideo, Montreal Underground and spaces such as Mills Gallery BCA, NADA, WhiteBox, Bullet Space, ATA Gallery, MoMA PS1, Anthology Film Archives among other venues. Astudillo is currently Festival Director of TRANS|Lations, Seattle Trans Film Festival and Programmer at NewFest, New York’s LGBTQ+ Film Festival. As an independent curator, Astudillo has programmed in collaboration with Balagan Films, MoMA Fortnight, Anthology Film Archives, Colectivo Ceis8, The Root Cellar Gallery, Laboratorio Experimental de Cine en Mexico, Pix Film Gallery in Toronto, AgX Film Collective, Maysles Documentary Center, Millennium Film Workshop and others. Astudillo has additionally served as guest curator for film festivals such as Go Shorts FIlm Festival in Netherlands and Uppsala Kort Film Festival in Sweden.
ABOUT FREYA BJÖRG OLAFSON
Freya Björg Olafson is an intermedia artist who works with video, audio, animation, motion capture, XR, painting, and performance. Olafson’s work has been exhibited and performed internationally at the Bauhaus Archiv (Berlin), SECCA – SouthEastern Center for Contemporary Art (North Carolina), LUDWIG museum (Budapest), and the National Arts Center (Ottawa). Olafson has benefitted from residencies, most notably through EMPAC – Experimental Media & Performing Arts Center (New York), Oboro (Montreal), and Counterpulse (San Francisco). In spring 2020 Olafson was one of the longlist ‘Sobey Art Award’ recipients through a nomination by Video Pool Media Arts Center and in July 2021 Olafson’s work MÆ- Motion Aftereffect was selected for the ‘Lumen Prize for Art & Technology’ longlist. Olafson holds an MFA in New Media from the Transart Institute / Donau Universität. From 2017 – 2021, Olafson was Assistant Professor in Screendance within the Department of Dance at York University. Beginning in July 2021, Olafson joined the University of Manitoba School of Art as an Assistant Professor in Digital Media.