Al-Ani, Jananne and Deville, Noski (2010) Excavators. [Film]
Creators: | Al-Ani, Jananne and Deville, Noski | ||||
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Description/Abstract: | Excavators is a single channel film which is part of a larger portfolio of photographic and video work exploring the role of both the physical body and the 'virtual' body (through its representation in art and architecture) in the real and imagined landscapes of the Middle East. By examining the history of idolatry and the ebb and flow of iconoclasm and aniconism in monotheistic religions, Director Al-Ani was able to explore the relationship between the desire to eradicate the image of the body and the literal disappearance of the 'real' body in situations of conflict or war. Once the body of a soldier who falls in battle or a victim of genocide is disposed of in the landscape, discreet signs of disturbance on the surface of the earth are often the only clues to its presence. Having been moved by the story of Margaret Cox and her work to uncover the mass graves of victims of genocide, Al-Ani became interested in the parallels between the work of forensic anthropologists and that of archaeologists: through the delicate and painstaking deconstruction of a site, the unpicking of evidence and eventually to the reconstruction of events leading to the formation of a given site. In contrast with the large-scale Shadow Sites films, Excavators is shown on a tiny 5 inch monitor. Focusing on a group of industrious ants working in the sand, the film draws attention to an activity in the landscape that could very easily be overlooked and the results of which are hard to comprehend. What is the purpose of all this activity and what might it expose or uncover? |
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Item Type: | Art/Design Item | ||||
Other Contributors: |
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Date: | 2010 | ||||
Copyright Holders: | Jananne Al-Ani | ||||
Material: | Film (digitised super 16 mm film col) | ||||
Measurements or Duration: | 2 min 24 sec loop | ||||
Funders: | Young Arab Theatre Fund, Arts Council England | ||||
Locations / Venues: | Location From Date To Date Excavations exhibition, Hayward Gallery, London, UK 5 March 2014 11 May 2014 Sharjah Biennial 11, United Arab Emirates 13 March 2013 Groundwork exhibition, Beirut Art Center, Lebanon 7 February 2013 6 April 2013 Shadow Sites: Recent Work by Jananne Al-Ani, Freer Gallery of Art/Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, USA 25 August 2012 10 February 2013 18th Biennale of Sydney: all our relations, Australia 27 June 2012 16 September 2012 Jananne Al-Ani Solo Exhibition, Darat al Funun, Amman, Jordan 18 May 2010 22 July 2010 |
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Additional Information: | Director: Jananne Al-Ani |
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Schools: | School of Film, Media & Performing Arts | ||||
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Depositing User: |
Noski Deville
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Date Deposited: | 09 Apr 2015 16:22 | ||||
Last Modified: | 09 Apr 2015 16:22 | ||||
URI: | https://research.uca.ac.uk/id/eprint/2625 |
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