$8 general,
$6 members/students/seniors

Live performance of video and film scores, co-curated by Joanna Raczynska and Will Redman. The evening features commissioned moving image works by artists Bruce Checefsky. Sara Hornbacher, Caroline Koebel. Hollie Lavenstein, Stephanie Maxwell, and Zach Poff with performances by the Open Music Ensemble and special guests. Made possible by a major grant from The New York State Music Fund.

Open Music Ensemble:
Otto Muller, Josh DeScherer, Chris Reba, Will Redman, Steve Baczkowski, JT Rinker, Todd Whitman, Bill Sack 
 
Ornithology (3.5 min, video, 2008) by Hollie Lavenstein
Ornithology is a study of birds. It is not, however, a scientific study, but a playfully philosophical one whose point is to capture glimpses of absolute birdness.

Royal Treatment (12 min., video, 2008) by Sara Hornbacher
Travel to Belgium in 2002 and 2003, sponsored by the King Baudouin Foundation (KBFUS), resulted in many hours of footage shot in museums and major Art expositions in a number of European countries. Subsequent experimental work with this documentary footage over several residencies at The Experimental Television Center produced a wealth of interesting material.

Sea Lion (2.5 min, video, 2007) by Caroline Koebel
This hand processed Super 8 film marvels at the beauty of the movement of the sea lion. It reflects the fascination of the filmmaker's two-year-old son with this animal new to his world.

Tuareg (6.43 min., 16mm, 2008) by Bruce Checefsky
A melodious assemblage of Alencon lace, Venetian lace and Point D'espirit lace; artificial silk flowers, plants and trees seen as shadows cast by tube, pocket, and LED flashlights. Photographed in black-and-white on outdated direct positive film from 1985, the resulting dense grain images evoke a veil of secrecy and tension surrounding the film's meaning.

The Alchemist's Secret Assistant (4.17 min, video, 2008) by Zach Poff
A series of ephemeral hops between microscopic surfaces. The camera steals details from murky contexts as it weaves a trail around the body of the alchemist, follows the contours of cryptic diagrams, and traces the ripples of enchanted liquids. But how long has the assistant been watching?

End to End (4.21 min., video, 2008) by Stephanie Maxwell
End To End presents a choreography of abstract form and space where background and foreground move in complementary arrangements of tempo and rhythm as the moving composition evolves and changes over time.


A DVD of Eyes and Ears: Sound Needs Image (a.k.a. Eyes and Ears I) is for sale here.

(2007, 60 min.) (1993, 33 min.)
Hallwalls celebrates the work of two eminent musicians who have recently graced our stage. In MUSICIAN (2007, 60min), filmmaker Daniel Kraus documents Chicago luminary Ken Vandermark. The documentary, which is part of the larger WORK film series, features footage from the road, including a stop at Hallwalls in summer 2006 when Vandermark performed with CINC. Vandermark's performance was in the company of two master British improvisers, Paul Lytton (percussion) and Phillip Wachsmann (violin, viola, electronics). The film will be preceded by MARC RIBOT: DESCENT INTO BALDNESS (1993, 33min), German filmmaker Cassis Blush's documentary which uses a captivating blend of experimental techniques to record the guitarist's life, work, and art. Ribot, who came to Hallwalls for a solo performance at Asbury Hall last November, was recently featured on Robert Plant and Allison Kraus' critically acclaimed 2007 release RAISING SAND (produced by T Bone Burnett). He will appear on the Country Music Television show CMT Crossroads on Monday, February 11th. For more information visit: www.cmt.com

MARC RIBOT: DESCENT INTO BALDNESS
"This 1995 documentary peels back a few discordant layers from the life of guitarist Marc Ribot. Schooled in classical guitar, with a voice filtered through Haitian traditions, recondite self-exploration and political commentary, Ribot is an intriguing subject who manages to give a lot away without ever really giving you anything. Director Cassis wanders with him through rehearsal spaces, stages and streets to explore what makes the musician (who later went on to found Los Cubanos Postizos) tick. German director Cassis uses a captivating blend of lo-fi camerawork to explore the avant-garde world surrounding Ribot, while seeming to have a great time herself. In fact, working on the film inspired her to go out and found her own band. After watching this, those in the stranglehold of their own artsy proclivities may feel the same way." (Geoff Girvitz)


MUSICIAN
"Common sense says you can't make a living in America playing avant-garde improvisational jazz. But Ken Vandermark does it anyway. Among musicians, Vandermark's work ethic is almost mythic. The Chicago reed player has released over 100 albums with nearly 40 ensembles, spends over eight months per year on the road, and lives every other waking moment composing, arranging, performing—and trying to discipline his two hyperactive canines. Though Vandermark was the recipient of a 1999 MacArthur genius grant, he still spends most of his life in smoky clubs and low-budget recording studios, hoping people will plunk down hard-earned cash to hear his wholly non-commercial music. Following the artful cinéma vérité style of the internationally acclaimed SHERIFF, Musician forgoes all interviews and voice-overs. It is a fly-on-the-wall time capsule that expertly captures every subtle sound and texture of this most American of art forms." For more information about the other documentaries in Daniel Kraus' PBS series WORK, visit: www.workseries.com

(Ben Niles, 2007, 80 min.)

The process of creating a concert grand piano, from forest floor to concert hall, spans 12 months, 12,000 parts, 450 craftsmen, and countless hours of fine-tuned labor. This independent documentary will inspire your return the next night for our presentation of Winston Choi's piano concert, made possible by the Yvar Mikhashoff Trust for New Music with a Steinway concert grand sponsored by Denton Cottier & Daniels of Getzville, NY.