Robert Beavers' Films, Renowned for the Aesthetics of Light, to Be Screened at MMCA Film and Video Theater in Seoul from July 25 to 30
Discussion Program with the Director Also Scheduled
The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) announced on July 17 that it will co-host "Robert Beavers: 2025 Seoul International Experimental Film Festival Individual" in partnership with the Moving Image Forum. Fifteen works by Robert Beavers, a globally renowned master of experimental film, will be screened at the MMCA Film and Video Theater in Seoul from July 25 to 30.
Robert Beavers, 76, originally from Massachusetts, has been using a 16mm camera since 1967 to capture European cities bearing traces of ancient civilizations, expressing them through his own unique cinematic language. His work is characterized by the rhythm created through cross-cutting scenes and the use of light to reveal emotion and inner states. He is also credited with expanding the aesthetic boundaries of experimental film.
This screening will present a comprehensive selection of 15 major works by Robert Beavers, spanning from his "Early Monthly Shorts" (1968?1970) to "Sparrow's Dream" (2022), many of which have rarely been shown in Korea. Most of these films experiment with the medium of light. Beavers focuses on the delicate textures of light, capturing nature, architecture, and the human body to evoke a sense of sublimity reminiscent of classical painting or poetry.
In his early work "Still Light," visual experimentation using color filters stands out. In the mid-career masterpiece "Sotiros," scenes of light falling on the corners of a hotel room, a knee, and eyelashes are repeatedly cross-cut to explore the inner world of the subject.
The program will also feature works that reveal how Beavers captures space on film. In "Stoas," he arranges images of hands as if enveloping the empty spaces among the columns of an ancient Greek gallery, thereby drawing out philosophical contemplation. In "The Container of the Color of Light," he traces the traces and emotions of life permeating an intimate space through the light entering his mother's house, the objects in the room, and quiet movements.
A discussion program will also be held to deepen understanding of the director's body of work. Four participants?director Robert Beavers, film curator Lukas Brasiskis, programmer Jo Inhan, and MMCA researcher Byun Youngsun?will discuss the director's creative journey and the core of his cinematic thought. The discussion will take place on July 29 at the MMCA Film and Video Theater, with admission for the first 120 attendees on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration will be available on the website starting at 6 p.m. on July 22.
Kim Sunghee, director of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, stated, "This program, which offers the rare opportunity to experience Robert Beavers' major works?constructed with poetic language and bold formal experimentation?on actual analog film, will be a valuable time for audiences to reflect on the essence of cinema. I hope visitors will enjoy an even broader spectrum of contemporary visual art together with Film and Video, one of the symbols of the Seoul branch."
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