Critical Writing Index

Video at Documenta

by Coco Fusco

Afterimage, Sept. 1987, v. 15, no. 2, p. 4

A summary of the recent Documenta 8 festival in Kassel, West Germany, where the theme was art with social consciousness. Special attention is paid to Nam June Paik's video homage to Joseph Beuys, which used music video techniques and mirrors to examine "the way popular television creates icons" (4). Videos that reference popular culture and the permeation of television into private life was a major theme, as was ironic critique using music video techniques. The author takes issue with the gallery presentation of non-installation works, given "video's troublesome status as an art" (4), and suggested that public television would have been a better forum.

ITEM 1987.089 – available for viewing in the Research Centre

Videos, Artworks and Artists Cited

Hommage to Joseph BeuysNam June Paik

Hideo It's Me MamaMako Idemitsu

Gorilla Tapes: Death Valley DaysTim Morrison

Gorilla Tapes: Death Valley DaysJohn Dovey

Gorilla Tapes: Death Valley DaysGavin Hodge

City of AngelsMarina Abramovic

Grimoire MagnetiqueJoelle de la Casiniere

Theory of CosmeticsGabor Body