press release
PERRY BARD AND RICHARD SULLIVAN
DRY HEAT 2017
April 14th – May 7th 2017
In a polarized society where everyone has multiple agendas and different perspectives on these agendas, the real question is how do we negotiate an alliance? This is the theme of Dry Heat a multiple channel video installation that focuses on a brother and sister both married, living in Israel. As a teenager Elan traveled to Israel, felt an emotional and spiritual connection and moved to Efrat, a community situated east of the green line, where he is now raising his children. Amber works with Israelis, Palestinians, Jordanians, North Americans in an ecological program whose motto is nature knows no borders. Despite their political differences they maintain a relationship.
The installation includes No Flak, a text animation that links the attitudes of Dada and the Theatre of the Absurd to the present moment. In the aftermath of an election where the internet offers the opportunity for rants on social media and absurd tweets from the U.S. president, the installation scours past and present for bits of humor and philosophy to define a science of the imaginary, an approach to these troubled times.
Perry Bard’s videos and installations have been presented internationall at museums, film festivals, biennials including MoMA and MoMA PS1 NY, Reina Sofia Museum, the Toronto, Rotterdam, IDFA Film Festivals, Ars Electronica, Transmediale, the Sao Paolo, Montreal and Cartagena Biennials.
Richard Sullivan’s films have screened at the Reina Sofia Museum, Ann Arbor Film Festival, San Francisco Cinemathèque, Mullenium Ocularis, Dumbo Film Festival, Anothology Film Archives.