Breaking free of conventional unities of body, space and time, this early feature by one of Europe's leading feminist filmmakers is a haunting excursion into psychic disintegration and crumbling identity. It loosely covers one year in the life of Anna, a young Viennese photographer increasingly convinced that the Hyksos, a hostile alien force, are invading people's bodies and responsible for the decay and rising violence around her. Valie Export skillfully exploits montage and integrates video, performance and installation art with elements from Cubism, Surrealism, Dada and avant-garde cinema.
"Anna, an artist, is obsessed with the invasion of alien doubles bent on total destruction. Her schizophrenia is reflected in the juxtapositions of long movie camera takes with violently edited montages: private with public spaces; black & white with colour, still photographs with video, ear splitting sounds with disruptive camera angles. Anna uses her body like a map; after a devastating quarrel with her lover, she paints red stitches on herself. Watching their scenes together, we realize how seldom, if ever before, the details of sexual intimacy have been shown in film from the point of view from a woman. Export privileges rupture over unity and never settles for one-dimensional solutions." Artforum, Nov. 1980
Die Kulturdokumentation "Prekär, frei und Spaß dabei?" zeigt künstlerisches Handeln als verantwortungsbewusste Verbindung zwischen Kunst, Gesellschaftskritik und Politik. Gemeinsam ist allen Beteiligten, dass sie aus ihrer persönlichen Situation heraus, jenseits vorgegebener Doktrinen, eine Kunstform entwickeln, in der sie die eigene Prekarität thematisieren und gleichzeitig nach einer Form von solidarischer Gemeinschaft suchen.
Regie: Réne Pollesch Mit Inga Busch, Christine Groß, Nina Kronjäger, Martin Laberenz, Trystan Pütter, Volker Spengler Ringlockschuppen+Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz 2008
Multidisciplinary artist Carolee Schneemann delivers the keynote address at the Since 1968 conference hosted by the Center for 21st Century Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on October 23, 2008 in Union Theatre.