John Smith’s films repeatedly shift between the contexts of cinema and museum. The selection of the individual works within the scope of the exhibition and a supporting program that places other works in various spatial situations—besides the museum space, in the cinema and in public space as well—refer to the range of possibilities of perceiving filmic works. The content-related core of Smith’s works, reflecting on perception patterns, is furthermore taken up and presented at the various venues.

John Smith was born in 1952 in the London borough of Walthamstow and studied film at the Royal College of Art, London. Since 1972, more than forty films, videos, and installations by Smith have been presented worldwide at cinemas and galleries, and he has received numerous film festival awards. John Smith teaches at the University of East London.

The exhibition was developed in close cooperation with students from the University of Bremen in the masters program Communication of Art and Culture.
The exhibition is taking place within the scope of the 17th Internationales Bremer Symposium zum Film “Was ist Kino? Auswählen, Aufführen, Erfahren” (What Is Cinema? Select, Present, Experience) from January 20–22, 2012, in collaboration with the University of Bremen and City 46.

Supporting Program at Bremen’s Community Cinema City 46:

"Slow Glass", 1988-91, and "The Black Tower", 1985–87
On the evening of opening, January 20, 2012, at 9:00 p.m., two additional films will be shown at Bremen’s Community Cinema City 46, with a personal introduction by John Smith.

"The Art of Projection: Moving Images in Cinema and Museum"
Panel Discussion with John Smith on Sunday, January 22, 2012, at 10:30 a.m
The panel is composed of:
John Smith, filmmaker/artist, London
Ingo Clauss, curator, Weserburg | Museum für moderne Kunst, Bremen
Wulf Herzogenrath, curator and former director of the Kunsthalle Bremen
Stefanie Schulte Strathaus, curator, codirector of Arsenal Berlin and director of Forum Expanded at the Berlin Film Festival
Moderation: Christine Rüffert, Cooperation Center Film, University of Bremen
The discussion will be in English.

Further information about the symposium is available at: www.city46.de 

MUSEUMSFREUNDE WESERBURG

Parallel präsentiert die kestnergesellschaft in Hannover:
John Smith | Bildstörung, 24. Februar – 29. April 2012
Mit einer Eintrittskarte der Weserburg erhalten Sie vom 24. Februar – 29. April 2012 freien Eintritt in die kestnergesellschaft.