This week, get to know the work of artist Marina Abramovic through two films: Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present and Marina Abramovic in Brazil: The Space in Between. It’s fascinating to learn more about an artist’s process, and these films are sure to provide a lot of inspiration for creatives.
Also new: Xu Bing: Phoenix, directed by Daniel Traub, documents the process of creating the eponymous work through to its installation at MASS MoCA.
And for fans of the experimental filmmaker Chris Marker, there is Chris Marker’s Bestiary—an anthology of five surprising short films on animals.
Read on for more details on this week’s new releases:
XU BING: PHOENIX
DIRECTED BY DANIEL TRAUB
The film Xu Bing: Phoenix documents the process of creating the work through to its installation at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA).
MARINA ABRAMOVIC:
THE ARTIST IS PRESENT
DIRECTED BY MATTHEW AKERS
Seductive, fearless, and outrageous, Marina Abramovic has been redefining what art is for nearly forty years. Using her own body as a vehicle, pushing herself beyond her physical and mental limits—and at times risking her life in the process—she creates performances that challenge, shock, and move us.
MARINA ABRAMOVIC IN BRAZIL:
THE SPACE IN BETWEEN
DIRECTED BY MARCO DE FIOL
Marina Abramovic travels through Brazil in search of personal healing and artistic inspiration, experiencing sacred rituals and revealing her creative process. The route consists of poignant encounters with healers and sages from the Brazilian countryside, exploring the limits between art and spirituality.
CHRIS MARKER’S BESTIARY
DIRECTED BY CHRIS MARKER
Animals in Chris Marker’s films often function as cultural or political metaphors (“A cat is never on the side of power,” Marker has explained). In this anthology of short films, however, Marker avoids the commercial cinema’s tendency to anthropomorphize animals in favor of a simple celebration of their exotic beauty, primal nature and mystery.
