“The Tunnels”, by MZM Projects is an experimental film that pushes the boundaries between documentation, critical review and video art. It is dedicated to “Brand New, You’re Retro” exhibition that took place at the former brewery tunnels (now Tou Scene Centre for Contemporary Arts) in Stavanger (Norway) as a part of Nuart Festival 2019.
“Brand New, You’re Retro” exhibition takes its cue from a 1995 track by Bristol artist and producer Tricky. The exhibition plays host to eleven visiting artists representing variety of practices (such as independent public art, street art, muralism, public intervention, subvertising, graffiti etc.) with a common background – a movement that was based on DIY approach, experimentation, cultural appropriation, creativity with the focus on the streets.
“The Tunnels” aims to explore the deeper meanings and the context of the art created for the show. It uses the critical approach and analysis in relation to the history of the movement; as well as fragments of artists’ talks, excerpts from the news, interviews and curatorial text by Martyn Reed that were resampled and infused with the lyrics from the Tricky’s “Brand New, You’re Retro”. The lines from this track (voiced with computer generated speech) now sound provisional in relation to the art created in the tunnels and symbolically highlight the legacy of Bristol’s underground scene of 90’s.
This film is a journey; it is moving backward from the last seventh tunnel until the introductory Tunnel Zero in order to show the development of the movement with its modern variety of artistic practices and the parallels with the past.
Soundtrack composed by Yatharth Roy Vibhakar (aka Aimsir.), Featuring the track “Mod1” by Ꮎ Ꭲ Ꮋ Ꭼ Ꮢ.
Text by Martyn Reed.
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