A new display at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery will tell the story of experimental film-making in Brighton & Hove, from 1896 to the present day.
Unknown to many, both Brighton and Hove have played a rich and important part in international film history. Early film-making pioneers including George Albert Smith and James Williamson, who became known as the Brighton School and worked here at the turn of the 20th century, while Modern and contemporary filmmakers and moving image artists – like Jeff Keen, Ben Wheatley and Ben Rivers – have cemented the city’s status as a hotbed of experimental film.
'Experimental Motion: the art of film innovation' will explore Brighton & Hove’s success as a place for experimental film-making, and its significance nationally and internationally.
Suzie Plumb, Royal Pavilion & Museums (RPM)’s Curator of Film, Media and Toys, said: “Over the past 120 years this city has seen highly influential work produced by its filmmakers. These experimental films have moved the language of cinema and art forward internationally, yet the story is little known.
Experimental Motion: the art of film innovation has been possible due to the support of the John Ellerman Foundation, and Arts Council England. It has been created in partnership with Videoclub, Screen Archive South East at the University of Brighton, Lighthouse, CineCity, and the British Library.
“Through looking at filmmaking techniques, such as editing, visual trickery and illusion, Experimental Motion will highlight the impact of these films on the development of the moving image. We’ll exhibit objects from as long ago as 1896 from the city’s extensive Film & Media collections, alongside films by the Brighton School, work by Modern and contemporary filmmakers and objects and work by moving image artists.”
'Finding Fanon: Part Two', Larry Achiampong & David Blandy, 2015
Experimental Motion: the art of film innovation
Spotlight Gallery, Brighton Museum & Art Gallery
22 October 2016 to 4 June 2017
Included in Museum admission fee/residents, members and children free
brightonmuseums.org.uk/brighton
Twitter: @BrightonMuseums
- Address: Royal Pavilion Garden, Brighton BN1 1EE, UK
- Opening hours: Tues-Sun: 10am-5pm (closed Mon [except Bank Hols: 10am-5pm], 24 [from 2.30pm], 25 and 26 Dec, 1 Jan)
- Admission: http://brightonmuseums.org.uk/brighton/plan-your-visit/admission-charges. *Members free – visit http://brightonmuseums.org.uk/discover/get-involved/join-us/ to find out about Royal Pavilion & Museums Foundation membership*.
- Tickets: *book online for 10% discount* http://brightonmuseums.org.uk/brighton/plan-your-visit/buy-tickets-online / +44 (0)3000 290902
Brighton Museum & Art Gallery is one of Britain’s oldest public museums. Located in the Royal Pavilion Estate at the heart of the city’s cultural quarter, its collections showcase arts and crafts from across the world and history from Ancient Egypt to modern Brighton.
http://brightonmuseums.org.uk/brighton
videoclub
videoclub is an artists’ moving image platform showing artists’ work across the UK and internationally. We support artists through curated programmes, engaging the public through screenings, exhibitions, talks, residencies and commissions.
We work in collaboration to develop inventive, stimulating events and opportunities to show artists’ film and video. Working with small collectives to large institutions, we exhibit work in cinemas, festivals, museums, galleries, non-arts spaces and outdoors, presenting diverse work by early career to established artists.
Screen Archive South East is a public sector moving image archive serving the South East of England. Established in 1992 at the University of Brighton, the function of this regional screen archive is to locate, collect, preserve, provide access to and promote screen material related to the South East and of general relevance to screen history.
There are now over 11,000 films and some 10,000 lantern slides from the nineteenth century as well as a significant collection of apparatus and related artefacts. The film material includes corporate documentaries, promotional material produced for seaside resorts and the military and work made by cine clubs, independent film-makers and families. These records capture many varied aspects of life, work and creativity from across the 20th century and therefore serve as a rich and invaluable historical resource.
http://about.brighton.ac.uk/screenarchive
CINECITY – the Brighton Film Festival was launched in November 2003. This annual moving image festival is presented in partnership with Screen Archive South East (based at the University of Brighton) and the Duke of York’s Picturehouse (part of the Picturehouse chain of cinemas). CINECITY brings the best in world cinema to Brighton & Hove and places great emphasis on its Artists’ Moving Image programme, one of the most significant and rapidly expanding areas of contemporary arts practice.
www.cine-city.co.uk