ART CITIES:London-Maja Čule

Maja Čule in her video works constructs the scenarios from which the image is formed, encompassing both performance and image production. Much of her work relies on unpacking received narratives and mythologies around the Web, and digital technology more broadly. In her video works, she takes our oldest image-making clichés and makes them new. Maja Čule explores social relations and creates scenarios from which the image is formed, encompassing both performance and image production.

By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: Arcadia Missa Archive

Thousands of years ago, all humans lived by hunting and gathering rather than growing their own food. The number of hunter and gatherer societies has gradually diminished. Those societies that remain live in relatively inaccessible areas, either remote jungles or arctic regions. “Mouth” is a new video commission focusing on the performative and mediated aspects of hunter-gathering culture, Čule has used improvisation methods to produce a piece blurring documentary and narrative film approaches, encountering accidental protagonists and public spaces as sets. As the artist says “The starting point for the video were selfie videos posted by hunters on youtube, I was interested in desire of these protagonists to be seen, and also to reproduce images of hunting applying and cinematic effect, and the authenticity of men’s role in nature they were hoping to fulfill”. Maja Čule talked with hunters, governmental offices for wildlife protection, hunting license offices, female organized clubs, and worked with 3 performers, one of whom had some hunting experience.  “My work completely relies on actions I take part in offline. However, at the moment I’m making drawings and preparing video work that involves a group of people I met online. We will be working together in exploring how the experiences of cultural production distributed online are being reenacted in the nature”.

Info:    Arcadia Missa, Unit 6, Bellenden Road Business Centre (Entrance on Lyndhurst Way), London, Duration: 2/12/17-17/2/18 (closed 16/12/17-9/1/18), Days & Hours: Wed-Sat 12:00-17:00, http://arcadiamissa.com