Breaking Ground – 60 Years of Austrian Experimental Cinema

In March 1994, one of the most comprehensive retrospectives of Austrian avant-garde film to date was launched at the Art Institute of Chicago in the USA: eight programs, curated by the director of the San Francisco Cinematheque Steve Anker, which toured the world following the Chicago show and were shown in a total of 23 cities (including Stadtkino Wien) until 1998.

Now, almost 20 years later, the time has come again: under the programmatic title Breaking Ground, a comprehensive retrospective is being dedicated to one of the most innovative and productive art film scenes in the world. The occasion for this is the publication of the book "Film Unframed. A History of Austrian Avant-Garde Cinema" - the first of its kind in English. Accompanied by this work, sixpackfilm will once again send out an impressive film package into the world. This time there are ten programs, brought up to date with works from the recent and very recent past. We have commissioned Brent Klinkum, a long-time observer and presenter of Austrian film art, member of the selection committee of the Centre Pompidou for Media Art, and founder and director of "Transat Video" (based in France; "Transat Video" organizes around 100 screenings, installations and film exhibitions every year), to curate the program.

Brent Klinkum's guiding principle when compiling the programs was the dialogue between the generations of the domestic avant-garde - from the "classics" of the 1950s to the latest digital productions. Socio-political and social issues meet aesthetic experiments, formally advanced commissioned works (such as three of the legendary "Humanic" spots) meet actionist tumult, feminist revolt meets subtle found footage interpretations. The unifying element of all these films and videos is their unmistakably idiosyncratic visual grammar, their highly personal style of expression. By combining all these different works, the aim is to make visible the lines of connection, continuities and also ruptures between the different generations. Many of the works shown now have a firm place in the canon of film history, while others are being presented to a large audience on an international stage for the first time. In addition, some films that have been unjustly forgotten have been restored especially for this show, such as the works of Alfred Kaiser and the first surviving film by Herbert Vesely (for which our sincere thanks go to the Austrian Film Archive and the Austrian Film Museum).

Program 1 ACTION!
Film ist. 1 – Bewegung und Zeit (Gustav Deutsch, 2002, 16mm, sw, 15 Min.)
Schönberg (Sabine Hiebler & Gerhard Ertl, 1990, 16mm, sw, 3 Min.)
Yes? Oui? Ja? (Thomas Draschan, 2002, 16mm, col, 4 Min.)
Mirror Mechanics (Siegfried A. Fruhauf, 2005, 35mm, sw, 7 Min.)
Subrosa (Karoe Goldt, 2004, video, col, 3 Min.)
Arnulf Rainer (Peter Kubelka, 1960, 35mm, 6 Min.)
Die Geburt der Venus (Moucle Blackout, 1970-72, 35mm, sw, 5 Min.)
Sunset Boulevard (Thomas Korschil, 1991, 16mm, col , 8 Min.)
Wisla (Josef Dabernig, 1996, 16mm, sw, 8 Min.)
Body Politics (VALIE EXPORT, 1974, video, sw, 3 Min.)
Instructions for a Light and Sound Machine (Peter Tscherkassky, 2005, 35mm cs, sw, 17 Min.)

Program 2 CONCRETE FORM
Squadro (Lotte Schreiber 2002, video, sw, 10 min.)
Besenbahn (Dietmar Offenhuber 2001, video, col, 10 min.)
Humanic Spot – Würfel 1 (Axel Corti 1971, video, col, 0:30 min.)
John Lautner – The Desert Hot Springs Motel (Sasha Pirker 2007, video, col, 10 min.)
Void.Seqz 5 (n:ja / Annja Krautgasser 2009, video, col, 5 min.)
Humanic Spot – Würfel 2 (Axel Corti 1971, video, col, 00:30 min.)'
Hyperbulie (VALIE EXPORT 1973, video, sw, 7 min.)
Random (Marc Adrian 1963, 35mm, sw, 5 min.)
Chronomops (Tina Frank 2004, video, col, 2 min.)
Humanic Spot – Und immer wieder die Würfel (Axel Corti 1973, video, col, 00:30 min.)
The_future_of_human_ containment 3 (Michael Schwenter 2002, 35mm, sw, 5 min.)
Sea Concrete Human (Malfunctions #1) (Michael Palm 2001, 35mm, col&sw, 29 min.)
Machination 84 (lia 2010, video, col, 5 min.)

TALK: Sabine Hiebler, Gerhard Ertl Michael Palm im Gespräch mit Claus Philipp

Program 3 CINEMA REVISITED
Alone. Life Wastes Andy Hardy (Martin Arnold 1998, 16mm, sw, 15 min.)
Borgate (Lotte Schreiber 2008, video, col&sw, 15 min.)
Outer Space 4 (Peter Tscherkassky 1999, 35mm cs, sw, 10 min.)
Film ist. 7 – Komisch (Gustav Deutsch 2002, 35mm, col&sw, 19 min.)
MOSAIK MÈCANIQUE (Notes on Film 03)
5 (Norbert Pfaffenbichler 2008, 35mm cs, sw, 9 min.)
Picture Again 6 (Linda Christanell 2003, 16mm, col, 10 min.)
Zwölf Boxkämpfer jagen Viktor quer über den großen Sylter Deich 140 9 (Johann Lurf 2009, 35mm, col, 3 min.)

Program 4 DAILY BUSINESS
Hernals 7 (Hans Scheugl 1967, 16mm, col, 11 min.)
Byketrouble (Carola Dernig 1998, video, col, 5 min.)
pièce touchée (Martin Arnold 1989, 16mm, sw, 16 min.)
Nach “pièce touchée” (Albert Sackl 1998, 16mm, sw, 9 min.)
Hotel Roccalba (Josef Dabernig 2008, 35mm, sw, 10 min.)
Bodybuilding (Ernst Schmidt Jr. 1965-66, 16mm, col, 9 min.)
Livingroom (Sabine Hiebler / Gerhard Ertl1991, 16mm, col, 5 min.)
Danke, es hat mich sehr gefreut 8 (Mara Mattuschka 1987, 16mm, sw, 2 min.)

Program 5 FROM A TO Z AND BACK
...L‘Arrivée (Peter Tscherkassky 1997-98, 35mm cs, sw, 2 min.)
Luukkaankangas – updated, revisited 9 (Dariusz Kowalski 2005, video, col, 7 min.)
mig men (Karoe Goldtmir 2002, video, col, 5 min.)
Perfekt 2 – Tacoma, Washington 10 (Dietmar Brehm 1982, 16mm, sw, 12 min.)
Film – An Exercise in Illusions II (Lisa Ponger 1983, 35mm, col , 4 min.)
Adjungierte Dislokationen (VALIE EXPORT 1973, video, sw, 10 min.)
15/67 TV (Kurt Kren 1967, 16mm, sw , 4 min.)
Alpine Passage (Michaela Schwentner 2006, video, col, 8 min.)
Vertigo Rush (Johann Lurf 2007, 35mm, col, 19 min.)

Program 6 HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU
Neon 11 (Nik Thoenen / Timo Novotny 2003, video, col, 5 min.)
Legal Errorist (Mara Mattuschka / Chris Haring 2005, video, sw, 15 min.)
Spucken (Friedl vom Gröller 2000, 35mm, sw, 2 min.)
Maria Lassnig Kantate 12 (Maria Lassnig / Hubert Sielecki 1992, 35mm, col, 8 min.)
Pullover (Gunter Brus 1967, 16mm, sw, 3 min.)
8/64 Ana – Aktion Brus 13 (Kurt Kren 1964, 16mm, sw, 3 min.)
November (Hito Steyerl 2004, video, col, sw, 25 min.)
Copy Shop (Virgil Widrich 2001, 35 mm, sw, 12 min.)

TALK: Brent Klinkum, Mara Mattuschka und Peter Tscherkassky im Gespräch mit Claus Philipp

Programm 7 IN AWE
Exposed 14 (Siegfried A. Fruhauf 2001, 16mm, sw, 9 min.)
Adebar (Peter Kubelka 1957-58, 35mm, col, 1:30 min.)
Schwechater (Peter Kubelka 1957-58, 35mm, col, 1 min.)
Iris 15 (Maria Lassnig 1971, 16mm, col, 10 min.)
Le Barometre (Friedl vom Gröller 2001, 35mm, sw, 3 min.)
Berühmte Wieneriennen nackt: Die Geschichte des Pip-Ups (Ernst Schmidt, jr. 1983, 16mm, col, 9 min.)
TV + VT Works (Peter Weibel 1969-72, video, sw, 17:30 min.)
Close Your Eyes (Billy Roisz 2009, video, col, 13 min.)
Mann & Frau & Animal (VALIE EXPORT 1970-73, 16mm, col, 10 min.)
22/69 Happy End (Kurt Kren 1969, 16mm, sw, 4 min.)

 Programm 8 PASSING TIMENS
Trilogie Part II: Gefühl Kazet (Linda Christanell 1997, 16mm, col, 14 min.)NightStill (Elke Groen 2007, 35mm, col, 9 min.)Kunst & Revolution 16 (Ernst Schmidt jr. 1968, 16mm, sw, col, 2 min.)55/95 (Gustav Deutsch 1994, 16mm, sw, 1 min.)Ein drittes Reich (Alfred Kaiser 1975, 16mm, sw, 29 min.) Tito-Material 17 (Elke Groen 1998, 16mm, col, 5 min.)cityscapes (Michaela Grill / Martin Stiewert 2007, 35mm, sw /16 min.)20/68 Schatzi (Kurt Kren 1968, 16mm, sw, 2:30 min.)TALK: Siegfried A. Fruhauf, Michaela Grill und Billy Roisz im Gespräch mit Gerald Weber.

Programm 9 WHOSE REALITY?
6/64 Mama und Papa 18 (Kurt Kren 1964, 16mm, col, 4 min.)
Body Trail 19 (Michael Palm / Willi Dorner 2008, video, sw, 8 min.)
Forst 20 (Ascan Breuer / Ursula Hansbauer / Wolfgang Konrad 2005, video, col, 50 min.)
Somewhere, late afternoon 21 (Ella Raidel 2007, video, col, 11 min.)

Programm 10 VISTING OUR NEIGHBOURS
An diesen Abenden (Herbert Vesely 1952, 35mm, sw, 23 min.)
Ostafrika (Dietmar Brehm 1993, 16mm, col, 6 min.)
Sonne halt! (Ferry Radax 1959-60, 35mm, sw, 25 min.)
Key West 22 (Thomas Aigelsreiter 2002, video, sw, 5 min.)
Film ist. 9 – Eroberung (Gustav Deutsch 2002, 35mm, sw, 18 min.)
Passagen (Lisl Ponger 1996, 35mm, col, 11 min.)
Unsere Afrikareise 23 (Peter Kubelka 1961-66, 16mm, col, 12:30 min.)

TALK: Lisl Ponger und Peter Kubelka im Gespräch mit Claus Philipp

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