Associação Cultural Videobrasil

The history of video in Brazil, the context in which early productions were created, the medium’s crosspollination with TV and cinema and its consolidation as a language within the realm of the arts. Solange Farkas, founder and general curator of the Contemporary Art Festival Sesc_Videobrasil, has witnessed and played a part in pivotal moments in this history, including the Festival’s inception in 1983.  In the talk 30 years of Videobrasil – The Trajectory of Video in the Context of the Arts, which took place on May 24 (Saturday) at Santander Cultural, Porto Alegre, she traced back the three-decade history of experimentation and risk that have characterized the Festival and its relationship with contemporary video production from Brazil and the world. The lecture was a parallel activity of the show VB on TV - 30 years of Videobrasil, featuring until June 7 at Galeria Mamute.

In her address, Solange Farkas went back to the 70s, to the first video works created by artists in Brazil. She situated the importance of the Biennial of São Paulo and pioneers like Walter Zanini in publicizing video production by international artists in Brazil and encouraging local production. The Festival emerged in 1983. “The Festival’s early editions took place during the country’s political opening process. Video production in Brazil was closely linked to documentary and television language. That period also saw the emergence of experiments using electronic media and video art,” Solange explained. The 90s marked the start of the Festival’s internationalization process, and national artists gained popularity. Video became established as a language, but remained far removed from the traditional art circuit (museums and galleries) and, in particular, from the market. Works dating from that period are hybrid in character, conversing with cinema and the visual arts, and showing signs of the coming of a digital age.

In the 21^st century, video became consolidated within the realm of the arts and, according to Solange Farkas, “the Festival became established as an international platform for mapping and disseminating art production from countries in the geopolitical South, and gradually embracing all contemporary languages." The works shown at the Festival during this period straddled different languages – like painting, photography and performance -, both formally and conceptually. In her address, Solange Farkas introduced the audience in Porto Alegre to the highlights of the 18^th and latest edition of the Festival, which marked the event’s 30^th anniversary. “This edition was testament to the power of video production by artists from Southern countries. Out of 10 award-winning works at the Festival, nine are video works,” notes Solange, who visited the exhibit at Galeria Mamute after her lecture.

about the show VB on TV - 30 years of Videobrasil                                           

From May 17 to June 7 at Galeria Mamute, the show VB on TV - 30 years of Videobrasil will feature the seven programs from the third season of the Videobrasil on TV series, especially produced for the latest edition of the Festival. The series was directed by Marco Del Fiol and Jasmin Pinho and aired exclusively on Sesc TV. Porto Alegre is the first city to host this brand new show from Videobrasil. For additional information on the show, go to http://site.videobrasil.org.br/en/news/1780148.

SERVICE:

Lecture 30 years of Videobrasil | The trajectory of video in the context of the arts
with Solange Farkas (founder, director and curator of Videobrasil)
May 24, 2014, 2:30 pm
Santander Cultural - Rua Sete de Setembro, 1028 - Old Town, Porto Alegre

Exhibit VB on TV | 30 years of Videobrasil
Visiting: Until June 7. Tuesdays to Fridays from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm | Saturday: from 3:00 pm to 6:30 pm
Galeria Mamute - Rua Caldas Júnior, 375 - Old Town, Porto Alegre