Video art

Video art constitutes an artistic discipline that leverages video technology as its primary visual and auditory medium. This art form materialized in the late 1960s, coinciding with the broader accessibility of consumer video technologies, such as video tape recorders, beyond the confines of corporate broadcasting. The manifestations of video art are varied, encompassing broadcast recordings, installations exhibited in galleries or museums, works disseminated online or via video tapes and DVDs, and performances that integrate television sets, video monitors, and projections to display live or pre-recorded imagery and audio.

The nomenclature "video art" originates from analog video tape, which served as the predominant recording technology throughout much of the medium's history until the 1990s. Subsequently, the introduction of digital recording apparatus prompted numerous artists to investigate digital technology as an innovative mode of artistic expression. Fundamentally, video art diverges from the established conventions of theatrical cinema; it may forgo actors, dialogue, or a discernible narrative structure. Furthermore, video art is distinct from cinematic subcategories such as avant-garde cinema, short films, and experimental film.

Early History

Nam June Paik, a Korean-American artist with a background in German studies, is widely recognized as a seminal figure in the development of video art. In March 1963, Paik presented the Exposition of Music – Electronic Television at the Galerie Parnass in Wuppertal. Concurrently, in May 1963, Wolf Vostell exhibited the installation 6 TV Dé-coll/age at the Smolin Gallery in New York and produced the video Sun in your head in Cologne. The latter work, Sun in your head, was initially created on 16mm film before being transferred to videotape in 1967.

A frequently cited genesis for video art involves Nam June Paik's utilization of his newly acquired Sony Portapak to record Pope Paul VI's procession through New York City in the autumn of 1965. Later that day, Paik reportedly screened these recordings in a Greenwich Village cafe, an event often considered the birth of video art.

Before the advent of consumer video equipment, non-commercial moving image production was primarily confined to 8mm and 16mm film formats. The introduction of the Portapak, followed by its periodic technological enhancements, catalyzed widespread artistic exploration of this novel medium.

A significant number of early influential video artists were concurrently engaged with conceptual art, performance art, and experimental film movements. Notable American practitioners include Vito Acconci, Valie Export, John Baldessari, Peter Campus, Doris Totten Chase, Maureen Connor, Norman Cowie, Dimitri Devyatkin, Frank Gillette, Dan Graham, Gary Hill, Joan Jonas, Bruce Nauman, Nam June Paik, Bill Viola, Shigeko Kubota, Martha Rosler, and William Wegman, among others. Additionally, artists such as Steina and Woody Vasulka focused on the formal attributes of video, employing video synthesizers to generate abstract compositions. In Canada, Kate Craig, Vera Frenkel, and Michael Snow played crucial roles in advancing video art.

In the 1970s

During its peak, much of the video art produced formally experimented with the inherent limitations of the video format. For instance, American artist Peter Campus's Double Vision integrated video signals from two Sony Portapaks via an electronic mixer, producing a distorted and profoundly dissonant visual output. Another illustrative work, Joan Jonas's Vertical Roll, involved the re-recording of previously captured footage of Jonas dancing while simultaneously playing the videos on a television, thereby creating a layered and intricate depiction of mediation.

A substantial portion of video art in the United States originated in New York City, where The Kitchen, established in 1972 by Steina and Woody Vasulka (with assistance from video director Dimitri Devyatkin and Shridhar Bapat), functioned as a central hub for emerging artists. An early example of multi-channel video artwork, utilizing multiple monitors or screens, is Wipe Cycle by Ira Schneider and Frank Gillette. Wipe Cycle premiered at the Howard Wise Gallery in New York in 1969 as part of the exhibition "TV as a Creative Medium." This installation, comprising nine television screens, integrated live footage of gallery visitors, found commercial television content, and segments from pre-recorded tapes. The visual material was dynamically sequenced across the monitors in a meticulously choreographed arrangement.

In 1970, at the San Jose State television studios on the West Coast, Willoughby Sharp initiated the "Videoviews" series of videotaped dialogues with artists. This "Videoviews" series comprised Sharp's discussions with Bruce Nauman (1970), Joseph Beuys (1972), Vito Acconci (1973), Chris Burden (1973), Lowell Darling (1974), and Dennis Oppenheim (1974). Concurrently in 1970, Sharp organized "Body Works," an exhibition featuring video art by Vito Acconci, Terry Fox, Richard Serra, Keith Sonnier, Dennis Oppenheim, and William Wegman, which was showcased at Tom Marioni's Museum of Conceptual Art in San Francisco, California.

In Europe, Valie Export's seminal video artwork, "Facing a Family" (1971), represented an early example of television intervention and broadcast video art. This video, initially aired on the Austrian television program "Kontakte" on February 2, 1971,[11] depicted a bourgeois Austrian family consuming dinner while watching television, thereby creating a reflective experience for many viewers engaged in similar activities. Export theorized that television possessed the capacity to intricate the dynamic between the subject, the spectator, and the medium itself. Simultaneously in the United Kingdom, David Hall's "TV Interruptions" (1971) were deliberately broadcast unannounced and uncredited on Scottish TV, marking the inaugural artistic interventions on British television.

1980s–1990s

The declining cost of editing software expanded public access to these technologies. The widespread availability of video editing software transformed artistic approaches to the medium. Concurrently, the advent of independent television channels in Europe and the rise of video clips prompted artists to leverage the capabilities of special effects, high-quality imagery, and advanced editing techniques, exemplified by artists such as Gary Hill and Bill Viola. Specialized video art festivals, including the World Wide Video Festival in The Hague, the Biennale de l'Image in Geneva, and Ars Electronica in Linz, emerged and underscored the significance of artistic production in this domain.

Beginning in the 1990s, contemporary art exhibitions increasingly incorporated artists' videos alongside other artworks and installations. Notable examples include the Venice Biennale (Aperto 93) and the "NowHere" exhibition at the Louisiana Museum, as well as numerous art galleries. A new generation of artists benefited from the introduction of lighter equipment, such as Handycams, which facilitated a more immediate mode of expression. Artists including Pipilotti Rist, Tony Oursler, Carsten Höller, Cheryl Donegan, and Nelson Sullivan, much like their predecessors in the 1960s, could readily depart their studios to film handheld footage without elaborate setups. They sometimes integrated found imagery with their original content (e.g., Douglas Gordon, Pierre Bismuth, Sylvie Fleury, Johan Grimonprez, Claude Closky) and employed straightforward post-production techniques. The exhibition of these works was also streamlined by the availability of monitors in galleries and the distribution of content on VHS. This emerging generation not only foreshadowed future explorations of feminist and gender issues but also pioneered an increasingly hybrid approach to media, incorporating elements such as transferred Super 8 films, 16mm footage, digital editing, television show excerpts, and diverse sound sources.

Concurrently, museums and institutions specializing in video art began to adopt digital technology. Examples include the ZKM in Karlsruhe, under the direction of Peter Weibel, which hosted numerous thematic exhibitions, and the Centre pour l'Image Contemporaine, known for its biennial "Version" (1994-2004), directed by Simon Lamunière.

The advent of digital technology and the Internet facilitated the federation of databases by several museums, notably the "New Media Art" initiative collaboratively developed by the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, the Museum Ludwig in Cologne, and the Centre pour l'Image Contemporaine (Center for Contemporary Images) in Geneva.

Towards the close of the 20th century, institutions and artists explored an expanding media spectrum, encompassing 3D imagery, interactivity, CD-ROMs, the Internet, and digital post-production. Emerging themes included interactivity and nonlinearity. Certain artists integrated physical and digital methodologies, as exemplified by Jeffrey Shaw's "Legible City" (1988–91). Other practitioners utilized low-tech interactivity, such as Claude Closky's online works "+1" or "Do you want Love or Lust," co-produced by the Dia Art Foundation in 1996. However, these developments marked a transition from traditional video art towards the nascent fields of New Media Art and Internet Art.

2000s–2010s

As both the volume of available footage and editing methodologies advanced, certain artists began producing intricate narrative videos without utilizing any of their own original material. For instance, Marco Brambilla's Civilization (2008) functions as a collage or "video mural," depicting themes of heaven and hell. Similarly, Johan Grimonprez's *Dial H-I-S-T-O-R-Y* offers a 68-minute interpretation of the Cold War and the role of terrorists, constructed almost entirely from archival television and film excerpts concerning hijacking.

More broadly, during the initial decade of the 21st century, a significant development in video art was its prominent integration into international contemporary art exhibitions. Throughout this period, artist videos frequently appeared in group shows, presented on monitors or as projections. Between 2000 and 2015, video installations constituted over a third of the works showcased at Art Unlimited, the Art Basel section dedicated to large-scale pieces. A similar trend was observed at most biennials. A new generation of artists, including Pipilotti Rist, Francis Alys, Kim Sooja, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Omer Fast, David Claerbout, Sarah Morris, and Matthew Barney, were exhibited alongside established figures such as Roman Signer, Bruce Nauman, Bill Viola, Joan Jonas, and John Baldessari.

Some artists have also expanded their audience reach by creating feature films, exemplified by Apichatpong Weerasethakul, who received the "Palm d'Or" at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, or by curating major public events, as seen with Pipilotti Rist's Swiss National Expo02.

In 2003, Kalup Linzy premiered Conversations Wit De Churen II: All My Churen, a satirical soap opera credited with establishing a distinct sub-genre within video and performance art. Although Linzy's work defies conventional genres, it has made a significant contribution to the medium. Ryan Trecartin, an experimental young video artist, employs vibrant color, innovative editing techniques, and unconventional acting to create what *The New Yorker* describes as "a cultural watershed."

Performance art and video art

Video art, as a medium, can be effectively integrated with other forms of artistic expression, such as performance art. This synthesis is sometimes termed "media and performance art" when artists transcend traditional video and film formats to expand artistic boundaries. The increasing accessibility of video cameras enabled the documentation and dissemination of performance art to broader audiences. Artists like Marina Abramović and Ulay notably experimented with videotaping their performances throughout the 1970s and 1980s. In their 1980 piece titled “Rest Energy,” Ulay and Abramović mutually suspended their weight, with Ulay holding an arrow aimed at Abramović's heart while she held the bow. This 4-minute, 10-second performance was described by Abramović as an exploration of "complete and total trust."

Other artists who combined video art with performance art utilized the camera as an integral audience surrogate. Kate Gilmore, for instance, experimented with camera positioning. In her 2006 video “Anything,” she filmed her performance piece while continuously attempting to reach the camera, which was positioned above her. Over the 13-minute duration, she progressively tied together pieces of furniture while persistently striving to access the camera. Gilmore frequently incorporates an element of struggle, sometimes self-imposed, into her art. In her 2004 video “My love is an anchor,” she allowed her foot to set in cement before attempting to break free on camera. Gilmore has stated that she mimicked expressive styles from the 1960s and 1970s, drawing inspiration from artists like Marina Abramović, by infusing her work with extremism and struggle.

Some artists have explored spatial dynamics in their combination of video art and performance art. Ragnar Kjartansson, an Icelandic artist, filmed an entire music video titled "The Visitors" (2012), featuring nine distinct artists, including himself, each filmed in separate rooms. All participants could hear each other through headphones, enabling them to perform the song collaboratively.

Artists such as Jaki Irvine and Victoria Fu have experimented with combining 16 mm film, 8 mm film, and video. This approach leverages the potential discontinuity between moving images, musical scores, and narration to subvert any perception of linear narrative.

As an academic discipline

Since the year 2000, video art programs have progressively established themselves as distinct academic disciplines within higher education institutions, often positioned alongside traditional film and broadcast media curricula. Contemporary university programs, such as those at Northeastern and Syracuse, typically provide foundational instruction in lighting, editing, and camera operation. Although these core competencies are applicable to and supportive of established film and television production fields, the expansion of entertainment media, driven by computer-generated imagery (CGI) and other special effects, increasingly integrates advanced skills like animation, motion graphics, and computer-aided design into upper-level coursework within this evolving domain.

Prominent Video Art Organizations

• Ars Electronica Center (AEC), Linz, Austria
• Edith-Russ-Haus for Media Art, Oldenburg, Germany
• Electronic Arts Intermix, New York, NY
• Experimental Television Center, New York
• Goetz Collection, Munich, Germany
• Imai – inter media art institute, Düsseldorf
• Impakt Festival, Utrecht
• Julia Stoschek Collection, Düsseldorf, Germany
• Kunstmuseum Bonn, featuring an extensive video art collection
• LA Freewaves, an experimental media art festival, showcases video art, short films, and animation through exhibitions presented in Los Angeles and digitally.
• Lumen Eclipse – Harvard Square, MA
• LUX, London, UK
• London Video Arts, London, UK
• Neuer Berliner Kunstverein, which established its "Video-Forum" in 1971, located in Berlin, Germany
• Raindance Foundation, New York
• Souvenirs from Earth, an art television station broadcast across European cable networks (Paris, Cologne)
• Vtape, Toronto, Canada
• Videoart at Midnight, an artists' cinema project, Berlin, Germany
• Video Data Bank, Chicago, IL.
• VIVO Media Arts Centre, Vancouver, Canada
• ZKM Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe, Germany
• Videobrasil, Associação Cultural Videobrasil, São Paulo, Brazil
• Ibrida Festival, Vertov Project, Forlì, Italy

Artmedia

• Artmedia
• Experimental film
• INFERMENTAL
• Interactive film
• List of video artists
• Music video
• Music visualization
• New media art
• Optical feedback
• Real-time computer graphics
• Scratch video
• Single-channel video
• Sound art
• Video jockey
• Video poetry
• Video sculpture
• Video installation
• Video synthesizer
• Visual music
• VJing

• Making Video 'In' - The Contested Ground of Alternative Video On The West Coast, edited by Jennifer Abbott (Satellite Video Exchange Society, 2000).
• Videography: Video Media as Art and Culture, by Sean Cubitt (MacMillan, 1993).
• A History of Experimental Film and Video, by A. L. Rees (British Film Institute, 1999).
• New Media in Late 20th-Century Art, by Michael Rush (Thames & Hudson, 1999).
• Mirror Machine: Video and Identity, edited by Janine Marchessault (Toronto: YYZ Books, 1995).
• Sounding the Gallery: Video and the Rise of Art Music, by Holly Rogers (New York: Oxford University Press, 2013).
• Video Culture: A Critical Investigation, edited by John G. Hanhardt (Visual Studies Workshop Press, 1986).
• Moving Layers: Contextual Video in Art & Architecture, edited by Alexandro Ladaga, Silvia Manteiga (Rome, Edilstampa Press, 2014). ISBN 9781291852295
• The Electronic Civilization, in Screencity Lab Academic Journal, edited by Alexandro Ladaga, Silvia Manteiga n.1, 2012, pp. 4, 11, 37-42. ISBN 978-88-9637-010-0
• Video Art: A Guided Tour, by Catherine Elwes (I.B. Tauris, 2004).
• A History of Video Art, by Chris Meigh-Andrews (Berg, 2006).
• 127kBdiarte, Thinking Art Online, by Elastic Group of Artistic Research (San Donato, Psiche e Aurora Ed., 2015). ISBN 9788889875421
• Diverse Practices: A Critical Reader on British Video Art, edited by Julia Knight (University of Luton/Arts Council England, 1996).
• ARTFORUM, February 1993, featuring "Travels In The New Flesh" by Howard Hampton (Published by ARTFORUM INTERNATIONAL, 1993).
• Resolutions: Contemporary Video Practices, (eds. Renov, Michael & Erika Suderburg) (London, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press,1996).
• Expanded Cinema, by Gene Youngblood (New York: E.P. Dutton & Company, 1970).
• The Problematic of Video Art in the Museum 1968-1990, by Cyrus Manasseh (Cambria Press, 2009).
• First Electronic Art Show, authored by Niranjan Rajah and Hasnul J Saidon, was published by the National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, in 1997.
• Expanded Cinema, edited by David Curtis, A. L. Rees, Duncan White, and Steven Ball, was published by Tate Publishing in 2011.
• Retrospektiv-Film-org videokunst i Norge 1960-90, edited by Farhad Kalantary and Linn Lervik, was published by Atopia Stiftelse, Oslo, in April 2011.
• Experimental Film and Video, edited by Jackie Hatfield, was published by John Libbey Publishing in 2006 and distributed in North America by Indiana University Press.
• REWIND: British Artists' Video in the 1970s & 1980s, edited by Sean Cubitt and Stephen Partridge, was published by John Libbey Publishing in 2012.
• Reaching Audiences: Distribution and Promotion of Alternative Moving Image, authored by Julia Knight and Peter Thomas, was published by Intellect in 2011.
• Wulf Herzogenrath's Videokunst der 60er Jahre in Deutschland was published by Kunsthalle Bremen in 2006, without an ISBN.
• Rudolf Frieling and Wulf Herzogenrath's 40jahrevideokunst.de: Digitales Erbe: Videokunst in Deutschland von 1963 bis heute was published by Hatje Cantz Verlag in 2006, with ISBN 978-3-7757-1717-5.
• NBK Band 4. Time Pieces. Videokunst seit 1963 was published by Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, Köln, in 2013, with ISBN 978-3-86335-074-1.
• Demolden Video Project: 2009-2014 was published by the Video Art Gallery, Santander, Spain, in 2016, with ISBN 978-84-16705-40-5.
• Valentino Catricalà and Laura Leuzzi contributed Cronologia della videoarte italiana to Marco Maria Gazzano's publication, KINEMA. Il cinema sulle tracce del cinema. Dal film alle arti elettroniche andata e ritorno, published by Exorma, Roma, in 2013.