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Jim Campbell
William Kentridge
Mariko Mori
Pepón Osorio
Tony Oursler
Nam June Paik
Peter Sarkisian

Illuminations
Contemporary Film and Video Art

Mariko Mori

Curated by Barbara Matilsky and David Hart

Illuminations: Contemporary Film and Video Art brings together the recent work of seven internationally recognized artists from around the world: Jim Campbell; William Kentridge; Mariko Mori; Pepón Osorio; Tony Oursler; Nam June Paik and Peter Sarkisian. As an introduction to time-based media, this exhibition provides the setting to experience a variety of styles and approaches.

The diverse ways that the artists in Illuminations use film and video reflect their personal interpretations of social, political, psychological and spiritual themes. Their work suggests the complexity and layered nuances of compelling contemporary ideas that would otherwise be difficult to capture in more traditional media. However, the power and influence of recent film and video emerge, in part, from an innovative fusion with other media such as sculpture, drawing, installation and computer art.

The artists in Illuminations reject conventional narrative's linear sequence of events and focus instead on suggestive relationships, opening up a wider range of possible meanings for the viewer. Meaning is often conveyed by emphasizing the human form - that of the artist, actor or viewer. Contemporary film and video art lend themselves not only to self-exploration and the communication of contemporary issues, but also to the creation of hauntingly beautiful and moving images.

Illuminations is made possible by the William Hayes Ackland Trust and received support from the North Carolina Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of North Carolina and the National Endowment for the Arts.