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Video Fever 2014 – Winners Spotlight
As summer begins and students return to the daylight filled world outside the halls of the academic institution, we thought this would be a good time to look back at the four young video artists who walked away with prizes at our second annual Video Fever juried student video competition this past January: Maya Ben David, Alvin Luong, Olivia Simpson and Maximilian Suillerot. Open to third and fourth year undergrad students in the Toronto and surrounding area, Video Fever aims to highlight the most exciting, critical work emerging at the forefront of video practices in Canada, and these four artists are definitely indicative of this sentiment.
Maximilian Suillerot (University of Toronto)
Not Knowing is Horrible
Website: www.maximiliansuillerot.com
Dealing with the anxiety of the unknown and the pain of losing a loved one; this video is inspired by Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ work Perfect Lovers as well as my personal experience of the disappearance of a loved one. This found footage is an intrusion into a symbiotic relationship where obsession leads to anxiety and to the distressing counting of time. It ultimately seeks to reveal the uncertainty of safety, the naked reality of time-bound beings. The human condition is temporary and fragile in nature. The viewer is left only with a sense of dread.
Also see Suillerot’s companion video: Things Change in Permanent Ways
Maya Ben David (University of Guelph)
Insert Coin
Vimeo page: http://vimeo.com/user25131455
This video takes select Super Nintendo games and isolates only the tranquil, picturesque moments of nature in them. By removing the characters, sound effects, background music and any signage, I took the ubiquitous silent moments of nature and presented them front stage. By slowing instances like a gust of wind picking up leaves by over 90 percent I was able to bring attention to beautiful moments in the 16-bit animation, which are often overlooked. The nostalgic 16 bit graphics so iconic to 90s video games are then shown in a new light and celebrated in a different way.
Alvin Luong (University of Toronto)
Multi-Stage Fitness Test
Website: www.alvinluong.com
Multi-Stage Fitness Test explores performance in pornography as both acting and a measured physical capability. A grid array of sixteen 1980s pornographic videos are played side-by-side synchronously to the audio directions of the Multi-Stage Fitness Test. The pornographic films respond to the audio by increasing their speed to match speed of the fitness test. As a result the sexual performances become increasingly absurd. ‘Sexual fitness’ is determined in relationship to the fitness test whenever a video in the grid ends. The fitness test harkens back to physical education in middle school reverberating periods of sexual development and realization in adolescents. During this period pornography plays a large role in establishing ideas of what sex is, how individuals should act during sex, and what is appropriate for sex.
Olivia Simpson (University of Guelph)
Miley
Miley is a re-enactment of an interview with Miley Cyrus on the Today Show. My impersonation is an exploration of the irreconcilable duality of the self; my own identity emerging through my impersonation, leaving the video in a state of uncertainty. Where does Miley appear and where do I get in the way? Miley in its entirety consists of three different takes looped. Production and Post-Production assistance: Nathan Saliwonchyk
All videos are from 2013, copyright the artists.