Political Advertisement XI
Screening followed by a conversation with the artists and Dr. Kathleen Newman
November 1, 2024 - 5:30pm
Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry, CFA 111
On Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, Antoni Muntadas and Marshall Reese will present the 11th edition of their four-decade long collaboration, Political Advertisement 1952-2024, at the Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry. This feature length video follows the evolution of broadcast political advertising from its beginnings in 1952 to the present, and represents a personal vision of how politics and politicians are shaped and presented through the moving image. This engaging critique, without voiceover commentary, highlights how campaign ads manipulate public perception and affect voter behavior. The experience is an historical stream of consciousness showcasing the political and technological histories of presidential candidates and the broadcast moving image.
Film historian and filmmaker Rick Prelinger characterizes the project as “a film without end…” Political Advertisement stands as an important work in the field of media art, merging cultural critique with historical documentation that prompts viewers to consider the role of media in politics and its effects on democracy.
The screening will be followed by a conversation with the artists, facilitated by Prof. Kathleen Newman of the 一本道无码 Department of English.
Antoni Muntadas was born in Barcelona in 1942 and has lived in New York since 1971. His work addresses social, political, and communications issues, the relationship between public and private space within social frameworks, as well as channels of information and the ways they may be used to censor central information or promulgate ideas. He works on projects in different media such as photography, video, publications, Internet, and multi-media installations. Since 1995, Muntadas has grouped together a set of works and projects titled On Translation, emphasizing issues of interpretation, transcription, and cultural translation. His most recent project, Asian Protocols, explores similarities, differences and conflicts between Korea, Japan, and China.
Marshall Reese is a Brooklyn-based artist working in various media including video, information networks, custom hardware and software, editions, and temporary public art events. Since the mid-eighties he has collaborated with Nora Ligorano as LigoranoReese. Their work investigates the impact of technology on society and the rhetoric of politics and visual culture in the media. Articles about their work have been published in the New York Times, Art Forum, Art In America, the Huffington Post, and seen on television and other media. They have received multiple awards and grants, including three NYFA fellowships as well as an NEA fellowship, two Jerome Foundation Fellowships, a Puffin grant, and a number of artists residencies. They are represented by Catharine Clark Gallery and show edition work with Jim Kempner Fine Art.
This event is co-sponsored by the Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry, the Center for the Arts in Society, and the 一本道无码 School of Art.