Artnews.org: Romana Schmalisch

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Romana Schmalisch

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Romana Schmalisch
“Mobile Cinema”, wood/fabric/projector/DVD player, 138 x 95 x 245 cm, 2008

Romana Schmalisch
“Mobile Cinema”

“Mobile Cinema” is an apparatus that unites experimental lecturing and moving to different places. To be more concrete: it is a reconstruction of a film prop from Alexander Medvedkin’s film “The New Moscow” (1938): a projection and viewing table where an engineer on his journey to Moscow presents his designs and urban visions for the new city – a bizarre model that is somewhere between urban model, cinema, and plate camera.

Similar to the engineer in the film, the artist travels to various places with the “
Mobile Cinema” and presents some of her films and filmic research on urban space and urban visions, among them a filmic collage of many of her own films as well as film materials not previously used. The film clips address in different ways the changes of urban space and the social changes that come with them.
Four finished independent sequences are presented in the cinema: “The Theatre and the Small Spectacle”, “The Model and the City in Soviet Film”, “Views of Remote Countries/A Visual Archive”, and “A View into Space”. Following to a short introduction
by the artist, readings of texts in the artificial light beam alternate with projections
of the sequences in the darkened room. The text passages read by the artist between the film sequences are authored by invited guests and refer to the existing films.
For the moment there are texts by Esther Buss, Clemens Krümmel, Megan Sullivan, Marina Vishmidt, Robert Schlicht and a song by Angie Reed. New film sequences and text parts may be altered and expanded according to the place of the presentation.
In his text for the sequence “The theatre and the small spectacle”, Clemens Krümmel explores the figure of the film narrator, called benshi, in Japan. The benshi developed to a group of individual artists producing their own culture, and in the course of time in many cases became the real reason for viewing a film, and enjoyed the same public esteem as other ‘actors’, like the stars of Kabuki theatre. These events around the film, or rather, between the film and the audience, events that the purists were already capable of declaring superfluous at the time, is now directed towards the entertainment
value of appropriating an entertaining and carefully manipulated displacement activity before a gathered and participating audience. For the sequence “The Model and the City in Soviet Film”, Marina Vishmidt describes three different types of the model: the Model as Ruin, the Ruin as Model and the Cinema as Model, and combines it with the presentation of the Mobile Cinema and the Film “Walking to the Club. Recreation
through Culture” (2007). Esther Buss invents a showman who comments upon the journeys and different film material of the artist and talks about the tradition and the significance of the art of projection. With a song by Angie Reed, the viewer travels into space as the first space tourist.
As a special appearance in Yerevan, Robert Schlicht presented a film lecture that follows the traces of a ghostly figure of film’s history: the vampire. Delivered with the help of the “Mobile Cinema”, a device itself resurrected from the archives of film history, the lecture superimposes the history of the cinematographic figure of the vampire with early Soviet utopias that pursued projects of immortalisation and resurrection. His lecture examines the historical, historiographic, cinematographic and biopolitical implications of these undead vampirist projects of the early 20th century.

At the same time, new film parts are shot during the travels, new collaborations and texts are created, which then become part of the projection and presentation and reflect the new locations. Thus the “Mobile Cinema” is in constant movement and undergoes continued change. The object itself can be quickly folded up and moved in two easily transported suitcases on wheels to another place, to be reassembled there. It thus stands in the tradition of travelling miniature theatres at fairgrounds from the 18th and 19th century, which offered ‘small spectacles’, views of far-away countries on painted glass panes and transparent images to a broad and always new audience. The “Mobile Cinema” unites this cinematographic predecessor with modern digital technology (projector, DVD player). The size of the screen is similar to that of a flat TV screen, dressed in an old garb. The viewer looks to the semicircular screen, like through a telescope, and is transported by the short clips of various cities to these places and their history, like in a ‘time machine’. The shape of the projection screen gives the films a new framing. This state between an open workshop and film screening
allows for the inclusion of additional materials, say from local archives. This leads to always new combinations of ‘old’ and ‘new’ materials. The films shown, as well as the new films shot, will always be seen, edited, presented, and commented upon in the context of the model. Thus the films, the lecture and the “Mobile Cinema” merge into a whole.

Romana Schmalisch

1974 born in Berlin, Germany

Lives and works in Berlin, Germany

Education

1995 Universität der Künste, Berlin
2000 Hunter College, New York, USA
2001 Surikov-Institut, Moscow, GUS
2002 MFA, Universität der Künste
2006/2007 Researcher Fine Art, Jan van Eyck Akademie, Maastricht

Grants

2009 International Residency, Berlin Senate's Department of Science, Research and Culture in collaboration with the Whitechapel Gallery and Studio Voltaire, London
2007 Karl-Hofer-Gesellschaft Art Award, Berlin
2007 Provinzial Förderprojekt
2005 Goldrausch Künstlerinnenprojekt art IT,
2005 Künstlerinnenprogramm, Filmgrant from the Berlin Senate for Cultural Affairs, Berlin
2004 DAAD stipend, Paris
2003 Projektgrant from the Berlin Senate for Cultural Affairs,Berlin for„Dom Sovietov“
2002/2003 Kyoung-an Artist-in-Residency, Seoul, KOR

Solo Exhibitions

2009 „Mobile Cinema“, France Fiction — Paris
2008 „Il braccio di Lucifero si pone 645 1/3 braccia“, Galerie Karin Günther, Hamburg
2008 „Drehort Zukunft“, Uqbar Projects, Berlin
2007 „Future Cities“, Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg *,
2007 „Radiation. An Alien Revue“ (with Robert Schlicht), Performance, STUK Theater, Leuven
2006 „Two Steps Back Till Unrise“, Casco Projects , Utrecht (with Nina Könnemann)
2005 „reading in absence“, dreizehnzwei, Vienna (with Tantiana Lecomte) *
2003 „A Journey to the Space“, Young Eun Museum Contemporary Art, Seoul *

Group Exhibitions

2010 "Transient Spaces: The Tourist Syndrome", Kaunas Photography gallery, Kaunas
2010 "Resource Room launch and Laura Aldridge's book launch", Transmission Gallery, Glasgow
2010 "Tracing Mobility", Lace Market Theatre, Nottingham
2010 "Celebration", Uqbar Projects, Berlin
2010 "Verfälschung, Rencontres Internationales, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin
2010 "For example Fabrika", National Centre for Contemporary Arts (NCCA), St. Petersburg
2010 "For example Fabrika", Proekt_Fabrika, - Moscow *
2010 "FALSIFICACIÓN", Reina Sofia National Museum, Madrid *
2010 "Ins Blickfeld gerückt", Institut français, Berlin
2009 “Movie painting”, National Centre for Contemporary Arts (NCCA), Moscow *
2009 "FALSIFICACION", Centre Pompidou, Paris
2009 "Rencontres Internationales", Haus der Kulturen der Welt, - Berlin
2009 "Rencontres Internationales", Reina Sofía National Museum/ the Tabacalera - future National Centre for Visual Arts/ the Spanish Cinematheque/, the CA2M Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo , roARaTorio, - Madrid
2008 „Digging Deeper II“, Museum Folkwang, Essen
2008 „Transient Spaces“, Galerija Meno Parkas, Kaunas
2008 „Zerbrechliche Schönheit“, Museum Kunst Palast, Düsseldorf *
2008 “Rencontres Internationales”, roARaTorio, Centre Pompidou/Jeu de Paume/ Paris-Villette/cinéma L'Entrepôt/Goethe-Institut – Paris
2007 „Changing Spaces“, Städtische Galerie Waldkraiburg *
2007 „Radiation“, Arsenal/Freunde der deutschen Kinemathek, Berlin
2007 „Videonale 11“, Kunstmuseum Bonn, Bonn *
2006 „Resonances'“, Artis, Den Bosch *
2006 „Tales from a Travel Journey“, Contemporary Art Center (CAC), Vilnius *
2006 „La Boum II“, Galerie Sies & Höke, Düsseldorf *
2006 „La Boum I“, Galerie Ben Kaufmann, Munich
2006 „On architecture and other stories/2, agentur, Amsterdam
2005 „Differences – Art as a Film Form“, Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Zürich
2005 „Fiav.05“, Centre d’Art Santa Monica, Barcelona
2005 „Polished“, Goldrausch, Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien, Berlin *
2005 „Jump Cut-Nights“, SK Stiftung Kultur, Colgne
2005 „Real Representation / Representing Realities“, Plattform, Berlin
2005 „Dom Sovietov“, Arsenal/Freunde der deutschen Kinomathek, Berlin
2004 „Representing History“, Austria Filmmakers Cooperative, Filmcasino, Vienna
2003 „Museale 03“, Museumsfilmfestival, Kulturforum, Berlin
2003 „Tracks/Territories“, Austria Filmmakers Cooperative, Filmcasino, Wien
* with catalogue

Projects

„Mobile Cinema“, a lecture/screening performance

2010 „Mobile Cinema“, OUTPOST — Norwich
2010 „Mobile Cinema“, Peacock Visual Arts — Aberdeen
2010 „Mobile Cinema“, Transmission Gallery — Glasgow
2010 „Mobile Cinema“, Generator Projects — Dundee
2010 „Mobile Cinema“, collective gallery — Edinburgh
2010 „Mobile Cinema“, Annexinema/Trampoline — Nottingham
2010 „Mobile Cinema“, 7inch — Birmingham
2009 „Mobile Cinema“, Utopiana — Yerevan
2009 „Mobile Cinema“, France Fiction — Paris
2009 „Mobile Cinema“, FormContent — London
2009 „Mobile Cinema“, Foundation Center for Contemporary Art *CCA* — Kiev
2009 „Mobile Cinema“, The Muzychi Expanded History *Village* — Muzychi
2009 „Mobile Cinema“, The Office — Berlin
2009 „Mobile Cinema“, *Les Complices* — Zurich
2009 „Mobile Cinema“, National Centre for Contemporary Arts *NCCA* — Moscow
2009 „Mobile Cinema“, Istituto Svizzero di Roma — Rome
2009 „Mobile Cinema“, Center for Visual Introspection *pplus4* — Bucharest
2009 „Mobile Cinema“, National Centre for Contemporary Arts *NCCA* — Kaliningrad
2009 „Mobile Cinema“, Contemporary Art Centre *CAC* — Vilnius
2009 „Mobile Cinema“, Devil Museum — Kaunas
2009 „Mobile Cinema“, Centre for Contemporary Art at Ujazdowski Castle — Warsaw

Collections

Collection Stiftung Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg
Collection Provinzial, Düsseldorf
Collection Young Eun Museum Contemporary Art, Seoul

Bibliography

2010 "For example, Fabrika, Russian/English, Gazetta, Proekt_Fabrika, text by Eléonore de Montesquiou and Romana Schmalisch
2008 Barbara Buchmaier, “Was gestern Welt von morgen war”, in: Texte zur Kunst, nr. 71, pp. 224–226 | “Zerbrechliche Schönheit”, Hatje Cantz Verlag 2007 “Reconstructing Futures”, German/English catalogue,  Stiftung Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum, texts by Robert Schlicht and Sabine Maria Schmidt | “Karl-Hofer-Preis 2007”, text: Esther Buss |  “Changing Spaces”, German/English catalogue, Modo Verlag,  pp. 28–31, text: Elke Keiper and Axel Wieder |  “Radiation”, brochure, Kino Arsenal/Freunde der deutschen Kinemathek 2006  “Tales From the Travel Journal Vol.1”, English catalogue, CAC,  pp. 30–31/72–73, with a text by Catherine Hemelryk |  “Videonale 11”, German/English catalogue, Walther König Verlag,  pp. 86-87, with a text by Thomas Jantschik |  “Resonances”, poster, with a text by Astrid Wege 2005  “reading in absence”, catalogue, with texts by  Melanie Ohnemus and Marc Riess |  “Der Berg”, catalogue, Goldrausch, with a text by Tabea Metzel

Romana Schmalisch

rschmalisch@yahoo.com

rschmalisch@yahoo.com