From September to November 2007 in ACMI Cinemas will feature an series of Australian premiere screenings of film by and about some of the international art world’s most celebrated artists including new documentary features on Andy Warhol, Annie Leibovitz, and Robert Mapplethorpe, as well as big screen works by Matthew Barney, Gaspar No? and Marina Abramovic. Curated by Kristy Matheson.
In addition, as a part of the Melbourne International Arts Festival Merce Cunningham residency, ACMI presents Collaborations. This screening program pays tribute to Marie Menken and Andy Warhol, two of the artistic collaborators who worked alongside Cunningham and John Cage. Throughout their career, Cunningham and Cage were inextricably linked with the key figures in the avant-garde, working with artists to create their groundbreaking performances. In 1945 painter turned filmmaker, Marie Menken created Variations on Noguchi in response to Cunningham and John Cage’s request to provide a filmic backdrop to their ballet, The Seasons. Likewise, after seeing Warhol’s Silver Clouds, Cunningham was inspired to include the work in his 1968 dance piece, RainForest, which included music by David Tudor and costumes by Jasper Johns.
