Of all the disciplines of art, video has long been the one I find the most difficult to engage with. Preoccupied with notions of time and representations of space, often eschewing narrative altogether, these works tend to be overly aestheticised and empty or so conceptual as to become a good idea that really should have stayed just that. Why should I want to watch endless footage of unmoving architecture in real time? What is so interesting about a naked man being paraded through woods on a lead? I often have to force myself to sit through full screenings and leave without much of a lasting impression.
That resistance is the very reason why I pay regular visits to the Parasol Unit. Tucked behind a service station and a fast food place halfway between Old Street and Angel in North London, Parasol Unit is unassuming but worth a detour. Although the official remit of the art foundation is to promote contemporary art at large, they have one of the few galleries in London that offers an excellent programme in moving image. The current exhibition by Yang Fudong is no exception. Continue reading Trial of the moving image
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