REVOLUTIONS
Selected Works from the collection of Isabelle and Jean-Conrad Lemaitre

28 March > 17 May 2008

Mark Wallinger, Threshold to the Kingdom (detail), 2000, Courtesy Anthony Reynolds Gallery, London

Featured Artists: Jennifer Allora & Guillermo Calzadilla, Fikret Atay, Yto Barrada, Yeal Bartana, Johanna Billing, Ulla von Brandenburg, Dominique Gonzalez Foerster, Emily Jacir, Hassan Khan, Sigalit Landau, Nikolaj Bendix Skyum Larsen, Steve McQueen, João Onofre, de Rijke/de Rooij, Bojan Šarcevic, Zined Sedira, Mariana Vassileva, Mark Wallinger

The University Art Gallery at University of California, San Diego, is delighted to present a selection of 18 video works from the collection of Isabelle and Jean-Conrad Lemaître. For the last seven years, these London-based French collectors have been collecting almost exclusively video work. The collection includes artists from all over the world and at the latest count numbers 80 works. This selection includes work by artists originating from Cuba, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Israel, The Netherlands, Palestine, Portugal, Serbia, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom, and United States.

Focusing primarily on younger artists the collection demonstrates many approaches to making film and video from the use of a simple gesture or intervention, the documentation of people and events, to the staged and performative. This, in turn, reflects many of the themes and concerns of today, the way social and political change is manifested and reflected in everyday life, a fascination with the negotiation of boundaries both physical and metaphoric, and a reflection of the kaleidoscopic nature of human beings, their emotions, and their lives. Collectively, they announce the arrival of a new generation of internationally recognized video artists who choose to occupy the gallery space yet talk of the world outside it.

Revolutions will occupy six especially created rooms, which will house both projected works and pieces shown on monitor. Each work, ranging from 80 seconds to 30 minutes in length, will be shown sequentially creating a complete cycle lasting almost three hours, and require the visitor to complete three rotations of the gallery.

On Thursday 27 March at 4:30pm Dr. Hugh M. Davies, The David C. Copley Director Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, will lead a conversation with Isabelle and Jean-Conrad Lemaître, about their collection, collecting video and their involvement in the promotion of film and video. This event will be in the Recital Hall, Mandeville Center and will be followed by the opening reception for the exhibition in the University Art Gallery. On Wednesday 14 and Thursday 15 May at 7pm in the gallery, students from the Department of Dance and Theatre under the direction of Yolanda Snaith will present dance pieces created in response to the works in the show.