Albert Serra on the Failure of Video Art in Exhibitions

Albert Serra, whose film 'Histoire de ma mort' recently won an award at Locarno, reflects on the problematic nature of moving images in exhibitions. In a text originally published in La Vanguardia and excerpted by artpress, Serra describes his experience at Documenta in Kassel, where he observed that visitors rarely watched video installations by William Kentridge and Allora & Calzadilla in their entirety. He argues that such works are designed to be viewed fragmentarily, as they reveal their emptiness when seen fully. Serra also notes that some artworks appear more compelling in reproduction than in reality, suggesting they are born to be reproduced rather than experienced physically. He will appear at the Centre Pompidou on October 25 for a special session with André S. Labarthe and Claire Denis, and on October 26 for an 'insomnia' night with Hans Ulrich Obrist.