The evolution of cinema, video and new media in the context of visual arts has long been imminent, not only by their progressive occupancy of exhibition spaces, but because of the contents contemporary artists are choosing to explore in their works. The diversity and complexity of moving image art, along with its ongoing moment in contemporary art history, encouraged us to ask American curator Kelly Gordon to take us on an exploration journey on the subject from an international perspective.

«Global Visions: Insights into International Moving Image Art» is the result of such invitation; a year-long program unflolding throughout 2016, comprising exhibitions, talks, workshops and screenings in Caracas and Maracaibo, and aiming to explore our contemporary relationship with moving image art from an international perspective. In order to encourage audience engagement with the works, curator Kelly Gordon has prepared a set of questions to further enrich the viewing experience. Read: Headspace: Strategies for Exploring Digital Art.

The Curator

The program has been proposed and designed by Kelly Gordon, moving image art specialist and founding Curator for Film and Media at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden of the Smithsonian Institution. In her proposal, Gordon states that «Moving image art is the fastest growing and most popular of all current contemporary art». She has mounted over 30 solo shows, hundreds of Film As Art programs and is especially noted for major group exhibition, including The Cinema Effect and Days of Endless Time. She has written and lectured extensively on the topic of time-based media

She has recently become an International Independent Curator at Large and Moving Image Acquisitions Consultant, based in Washington, DC.

Her visit was possible thanks to the support of the Office of Public Affairs at the US Embassy in Caracas.

Program sites

Global Visions will take place at Caracas and Maracaibo, thanks to a collaboration alliance with Museo de Arte Contemporáneo del Zulia (Maczul), Centro de Arte Los Galpones and Hacienda La Trinidad Parque Cultural, to further enrich and expand the experience.

—Museo de Arte Contemporáneo del Zulia is a national institution for multiple cultural action designed for rooting itself into the community. Maczul is a cultural project born in Maracaibo thanks to an initiave by the Universidad del Zulia. It is run by a non-profit Foundation with programme and administrative autonomy that aims to be a transforming agent of society through art, and to improve people’s quality of life.

—Hacienda La Trinidad Parque Cultural is a non-profit civil association dedicated to promoting cultural development and appreciation in a place where nature, history and arts come together to create an enabling environment for learning, leisure and recreation. Located on the grounds of an old coffee hacienda, the complex works on a set of patrimonial buildings that were declared «cultural interest site» in 2005.

—Centro de Arte Los Galpones is a meeting place in the city of Caracas that seeks to generate “community” through contemporary artistic manifestations such as visual, musical, gastronomic, scenic, literary and cinematic proposals. Los Galpones’ vision is to develop a self-sustaining model for cultural management through activities that enhance the urban space.

Activities

• Focus: Jonathan Monaghan

Global Visions: Insights into International Moving Image Art opened with American artist Jonathan Monaghan’s solo show. Using computer animation software and digital fabrication methods, Monaghan creates thought-provoking works that convey collective fears surrounding wealth, power and technology, while exploring the blurry boundaries between reality, imagination and virtuality. His recent participation in the ‘New Frontier’ category at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival stands out among his many distinctions.

Focus: Jonathan Monaghan was open from February 21 until March 20 at Secadero 3 of Hacienda La Trinidad Parque Cultural and from March 19 until July 1 at Maczul. This was his first solo show in Latin America.

• Kelly Gordon visits Venezuela

With support from the Office of Public Affairs at the US Embassy, program curator Kelly Gordon visited Venezuela in April to offer a workshop and open talks, both in Caracas and Maracaibo.

Her Best of Best workshop and Best of Now talk provided attendees a masterful anthologic journey through moving image art froma global perspective. Here’s a compilation of the works shown: Archivos develados.

• O Abuso da História by Héctor Zamora

Can the world change in two minutes? Héctor Zamora’s O Abuso da História reveals a wild art performance that feels like it could be an odd, spontaneous protest riot. Internationally renown, his best known works involve interventions in public settings, environments devised with structures, and actions or assemblages that call attention to patterns of use and perception in public spaces.

Zamora’s recent masterpiece will be screened at Maczul’s Sala Multimedia July 30 through September 30 and at Centro de Arte Los Galpones on July 28.

**• Counterfeit Heroes by Federico Solmi**

Italian born, US based artist Federico Solmi’s disquieting works begin with‎ his conceptualization of imaginary scenarios, sometimes historical in origin and sometimes in reference to contemporary personalities, events or issues. His intricate, labor-intensive process deploys satire to express the harrowing dimensions of modern life — the fallacies of power, the pretensions of celebrity and the inescapability of media-conditioned mentality.

Cited on the Artforum 2015 list of «Critics Picks,» a selection of videos from his series The Brotherhood will be projected August 4 through 21 at G17 of Centro de Arte Los Galpones and later on at Maczul.