'Illuminations: Contemporary Film and Video Art' brought together the recent work of seven international recognized artists from around the world: Jim Campbell, William Kentridge, Mariko Mori, Pepon Osorio, Tony Oursler, Nam June Pail, and Peter Sarkisian. As an introduction to time-based media, this exhibition provided the setting to experience a variety of styles and approaches.
The diverse ways that artists in 'Illuminations' used film and video reflected their personal interpretations of social, political, psychological, and spiritual themes. Their work suggested the complexity and layered nuances of compelling contemporary ideas that would otherwise have been difficult to capture in more traditional media. However, the power and influence of recent film and video emerged, in part, from an innovative fusion with other media such as sculpture, drawing, installation, and computer art.
The artists in 'Illuminations' rejected conventional narrative's linear sequence of events and focused instead on suggestive relationships, opening up a wider range of possible meaning for the viewer. Meaning is often conveyed by emphasizing the human form--that of the artist, actor, or viewer. Contemporary film and video art lent themselves not only to self-exploration and the communication of contemporary issues, but also to the creation of hauntingly beautiful and moving images.