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ISADORA - another Hermes film

 

this film was first shown at Elaine Levy, "FAMILY LIFE" curated by Filip Luyckx

see film click here

READING HERMES - DIE ACROBATEN SPRINGEN DURCH DIE LUFT / THE ACROBATS ARE JUMPING THROUGH THE AIR ...

2011

 

23 min

In this film, I'm using my little Hemes collection of about two dozens of silken scarves as pedagogical devices to read and talk with my son Edgar Novalis. I'm trying to animate a conversation along the beautiful and often exotic motives of these foulards. These motives reflect a history of colonization with caricatures of people, objects, animals and lives styles that are highly problematic and speak to a history of discrimination, exploitation, racism, injustice and inequality.

Nonetheless, Hermes scarves attract a lot of consumer attention and belong to the most expensive clothing items to be offered virtually for everybody who can or is willing to pay for these items. I myself have fallen in love with the texture, the colors, the motives and the outrageousness of these products and committed my own financial crisis whenever I bought them, mostly on credit cards not even paid off by now.

This work is somehow silly and pla- like and definitely located at the ideological opposite spectrum of my usual preoccupations that include even readings of Lenin, Marx, and Engles. Eddgar is himself fascinated by the animals, the acrobats, the dragons, the hot ballons and the rest of all these colorful scenes that let us travel into a world of exotic dreams and fairy tales. Not much older than two and a half years and struggling with multiple languages the boy performs the natural act of a little "Dummerle" who wants to speak without having the proper means for it yet.

The colonial and imperialist background of most of the motives is interesting and should definitely not be ignored. With the scarf designed by George Lilanga, an African artist based in Africa, the question of political correctness become even more intriguing since this foulard was sold all over the word but not in the USA discussions might have damaged the fashion house. Discussions on many online blogs can still be found all over the internet. Geography, travels, oriental studies, literary and visual representations of things far away in colonial lands are all part of brutal European conquests particularily in the 19th century. The beauty and fairytale like character of these motives and colors is in stark contrast to the realities on the ground. It is thus interesting to see these foulards with these motives again in the hands of the better offs, at least those consumers who can shop at Hermes stores.

For this video I am wearing a T-shirt that says AMAGANSETT yet another geographical marker that communicates priviledge and leasure. Edgar himself is not easy to handle and the real art consisted in keeping him attracted and interested in the scarves since he does't lilsten so much to my requests. Even though I feel highly ambivalent about this video clip I am happy to see Edgar fooling around with all these items. At one point he even uses an enlargement glass as if in order to proof the quality.

last but not least, this reading excercise in the living room t can also remind us of Martha Rossler's flipping thorugh magazines, or giving her an introduction into house hold items..

 

PS: EVERYBODY WHO has kids of that age knows that they are not participating in anything that lasts 23 minutes.. so even if it looks partially as if 'forcing ' --- one of his first expression was: "daddy, no forcing !!! " -- it was not really. also, it is obvious that I had to trick him, carry him back, etc.. and he was fooling me... needless to say.. for some it might be a pleasure to see him bite a scarve and damage it. I was of course a bit .... consternated.

 

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George Lilanga, Hermes, 2009 season

 

 

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see film click here

ISADORA - another Hermes film

 

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