The Archaeology of Video

The 15th edition of LOOP presents a 48-hour panorama of contemporary video and film art

Winding the clock back is the goal of LOOP Fair curators Eugeni Bonet and Antoni Mercader, in 2017, paying tribute to the early days of video art. With 80 venues across the city currently embracing the moving image, highlights include archival works from the 1960s, 70s and 80s, works by Nam Jun Paik and Carles Pujol, a six-hour marathon stretch of films by Paul McCarthy, and special exhibitions dedicated to works by Andy Warhol and Antoni Miralda.

The fair aims to rewind, pause and slow down the pace, both for increased understanding as well as a moment of appreciation. Nostalgia is tributary as well as indicative of feelings of longing, but LOOP approaches the theme from an additional third perspective: the turbocharged present and future that induces a shrinking of time and obliteration of the past. In considering how (or if) progression truly occurs if creators remain detached from what has transpired in favour of an obsession with “what’s next”, LOOP has amassed a collection of video works that, despite being rooted in decades long gone, are just as challenging and critically relevant right now. 

But it isn’t only a dose of reminiscing – 45 new films are also on show to provide insight into what video art looks like today and the consequential research that the visual arts is in the midst of. “With each festival edition we try to answer questions and concerns from the video art sector,” said Carolina Ciuti, festival coordinator, in a statement.

LOOP Fair and Festival runs until 27 May in Barcelona, Spain. For more information visit loop-barcelona.com