16 December 2007

The process as purpose.

Remember the scenes at Batman when the crook explained either Batman or Robin how they were going to be killed? The ingenious and naive process of machinery moving and cutting a piece, starting the fire, burning the string, falling the blade and that slowly one of our heroes will be cut in two?
Of course it never came to happen as they were able to release themselves from their captivity, but the imaginative process -I wondered why did they take the time to explain them- always remained in my mind.


Years ago, I saw the films made by the artists Fischli and Weiss (another example) where they actually performed and filmed these kind of elaborated and evocative images. They are very creative, intelligent and clumsy at the same time. There is often little purpose to their films but the process of balance and physics.
One of the first films I ever saw on You Tube was that of short "Fischli and Weis" films made in Japan. Every time they said something at the end, that I can't remember, otherwise I could tell you where to find them.

There is also this Honda ad that looks directed by Fischli and Weis only more expensive and less raw.

Two day ago Marsel Loermans gave me the Fischli dvd and pointed me out the new ad by the "uber Dutch" company Hema. On this surprisingly agreeable ad, the purpose is properly masked as the process self, and you forgive them their real commercial purpose.

Go and take a look,
Marisa Polin

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