mark lewis: canadian pavilion at venice art biennale 09

‘cold morning’ is a selection of four new films by mark lewis who represents canada this year at the venice art biennale. the films combine documentary footage and dramatic action with his recent interestin the historical technique of rear projection, resulting in works that explore the history of placeand the passage of time. the four autonomous works are presented together in a spatial syntax of oppositions that characterize some of the social tensions and spatial complexities that mark urban modernity as well as the conditions and potential of film as a modern medium.

nathan phillips square, a winter’s night, skating (2009) single screen projection, 4 minutes 35mm and 4K transfered to 2K film still courtesy the artist / monte clark gallery(vancouver) / clark & faria (toronto) / galerie serge le borgne (paris)comissioned by justina m. barnicke gallery, hart house, university of toronto. mark lewis studio inc. in co-production with the national film board of canada‘nathan phillips square, a winter’s night, skating’ follows the undulating narrative of lovers which are seemingly immersed in the open dream space of an urban skating rink. the simultaneity of two temporal and spatial dimensions within one picture, already an aspect of the history of the avant-garde’s pictorial interests, challenges the visual experience of backgrounds as just a setting.

nathan phillips square, a winter’s night, skating (2009) film still courtesy the artist / monte clark gallery(vancouver) / clark & faria (toronto) / galerie serge le borgne (paris)

the young couple embracing film still courtesy the artist / monte clark gallery(vancouver) / clark & faria (toronto) / galerie serge le borgne (paris)

nathan phillips square, a winter’s night, skating (2009) film still courtesy the artist / monte clark gallery(vancouver) / clark & faria (toronto) / galerie serge le borgne (paris)

the open dream space of the skating rink film still courtesy the artist / monte clark gallery(vancouver) / clark & faria (toronto) / galerie serge le borgne (paris)

nathan phillips square, a winter’s night, skating (2009) film still courtesy the artist / monte clark gallery(vancouver) / clark & faria (toronto) / galerie serge le borgne (paris)

nathan phillips square, a winter’s night, skating (2009) image © designboom

cold morning (2009) single screen projection, 7 minutes 35 seconds HD video film still courtesy the artist / monte clark gallery(vancouver) / clark & faria (toronto) / galerie serge le borgne (paris) comissioned by justina m. barnicke gallery, hart house, university of toronto. mark lewis studio inc. in co-production with the national film board of canada

shot in toronto, lewis shifts perspective in ‘cold morning’ by focusing on the actions of someone who lives and makes his home on the street during one winter’s coldest days. using rear projection, lewis elaborates on the spatial dissociation more explicitly at the level of film itself.

the man and his belongings, finding warmth in cups of coffee and a nearby grater emits heatfilm still courtesy the artist / monte clark gallery(vancouver) / clark & faria (toronto) / galerie serge le borgne (paris)

cleaning up his ‘home’film still courtesy the artist / monte clark gallery(vancouver) / clark & faria (toronto) / galerie serge le borgne (paris)

his belongings neatly piled togetherfilm still courtesy the artist / monte clark gallery(vancouver) / clark & faria (toronto) / galerie serge le borgne (paris)

the flight (2008) single screen projection, 5 minutes 27 seconds, HD video film still courtesy the artist / monte clark gallery(vancouver) / clark & faria (toronto) / galerie serge le borgne (paris) a production of the research laboratory for film & television – academy of fine arts vienna

‘the flight’ observes the to-and-fro of physical conflict without any apparent resolution.

the flight (2008) film still courtesy the artist / monte clark gallery(vancouver) / clark & faria (toronto) / galerie serge le borgne (paris) a production of the research laboratory for film & television – academy of fine arts vienna

the vicious cycle of the fight, separating the fight and starting another film still courtesy the artist / monte clark gallery(vancouver) / clark & faria (toronto) / galerie serge le borgne (paris) a production of the research laboratory for film & television – academy of fine arts vienna

the fight continuing with no apparent resolution film still courtesy the artist / monte clark gallery(vancouver) / clark & faria (toronto) / galerie serge le borgne (paris) a production of the research laboratory for film & television – academy of fine arts vienna

TD centre, 54th floor (2009) single screen project, 6 minutes, 57 seconds 35mm transfered to 2K film still courtesy the artist / monte clark gallery(vancouver) / clark & faria (toronto) / galerie serge le borgne (paris)

the film offers a vertiginous view of the pulse of downtown from the 54th floor of mies van der rohe’s iconic office tower in toronto

venice art biennale 09 (41)