The New Work by Deimantas Narkevičius at the BFI Gallery
1 October – 29 November, 2009. The BFI is thrilled to be working with the Lithuanian artist Deimantas Narkevičius, commissioning him a new work "Into the Unknown" based on footage from the BFI National Archive. The exhibition will take place from 1 October to 29th November 2009 at the BFI Southbank Gallery, to coincide with the Frieze Art Fair and with the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall. Thu 1 Oct 18:10 Studio Deimantas Narkevičius in conversation with Elisabetta Fabrizi, BFI Head of Exhibitions to discuss the development of his work and his new Gallery commission, which draws on research undertaken in the BFI National Archive.
photo by Gediminas Žilinskas
This leading Lithuanian artist, who works with the moving image but considers himself a sculptor, has been the recipient of the 2008 Vincent Award. This prestigious prize initiated by Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum is awarded by an international panel to the most important European living artist. He has also been part of last year’s Münster Sculpture Project and has been the focus of a major retrospective at Madrid’s Reina Sofia.
Narkevičius has accepted an invitation by the BFI Southbank Gallery to create a new work attracted by the richness of the BFI archive and in particular by Elisabetta Fabrizi’s suggestion that he concentrates on the ETV Collection (a collection of Socialist propaganda films, covering many major events of the 20th century from a Socialist perspective).
Stills from the "Into the Unknown"
On the surface, the films of Narkevičius seem to reflect the communist experience in Lithuania, but in fact they go far beyond. He explores the perception of historical memory, which can be modified by ideologies and utopias, as well as the social processes by identifying the existential inter-connection of his films' protagonists with their urban (often in the form of sculptures) and economic environment. In order to reflect these links, different cinematographic techniques and narrative procedures overlap in his films.
The exhibition will also be part of a wider project of screenings taking place at BFI Southbank, curated around the idea of "New Europe". This will mean that the gallery project will not sit as a separate element of the building but the issues raised by the project will be debated and considered as well as interpreted as part of wider discussions.
The piece, which will premiere at BFI Southbank will then become part of an exhibition titled "Architecture of Memory" which will tour internationally to Contemporary Art Centre Vilnius, Lithuania; Herzliya Museum, Tel Aviv; Hartware MedienKunstVerein (Dortmund); Muzeum Sztuki (Łódz, Poland); Kunst-Werke KW, Berlin; and comprising new moving image commissions by 4 artists (Deimantas Narkevičius, Yael Bartana, Marcel Odenbach and Mirosław Balka).
All the 4 works will be presented at BFI Southbank during an event to take place in October during the London Film Festival, in partnership with the Frieze Art Fair.
The project has been supported by the Henry Moore Foundation and the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in the UK.
BFI Southbank Gallery, Belvedere Road, South Bank, London, SE1 8XT
Open Tuesday to Sunday (and Bank Holiday Mondays) from 11.00 to 20.00, free entrance
Thu 1 Oct 18:30 Studio Deimantas Narkevičius in conversation with Elisabetta Fabrizi, BFI Head of Exhibitions to discuss the development of his work and his new Gallery commission, which draws on research undertaken in the BFI National Archive.
