Coupé International Vol. 2
Johann Lurf, Gina Telaroli
Curated by Michael Strasser
March 27th – April 25th, 2015
The concept of this exhibition project by Michael Strasser, entitled Coupé International, zeros in on exactly the capability of getting to know two artistic positions from different backgrounds in a new and enriching way, through a curated juxtaposition. In case of Johann Lurf ( lives in Vienne, Austria) and Gina Telaroli (lives in new York City, USA), two oeuvres meet, which because of their different aesthetics perhaps communicate little with each other at first glance. Lurf’s films are often of a formal austerity and reduction, comparable to trends of the so-called structural film; Telaroli’s work are characterized by their accumulative approach, both in terms of the often appropriated source material and the multiple editing processes. What certainly unifies Lurf and Terlaroli in their artistic approach, is their knowledge of technical contingencies and the possibilities of cinematic express, which both virtuously implement in their work. The use of found footage in this context can be seen as an indication of their reference to film history/ ies and also for their awareness regarding the historicity of the audiovisual media. In case of Lurf and Telaroli so it is a preoccupation with film, which – in their self-referential, media reflexive practice – always have knowledge of their specific potential of this art form.
Johann Lurf (b. 1982) is one of the youngest representatives of Austrian experimental film. Vision machines which not only uncover the structure of the images they produce but also subject them to scrutiny: This definition describes the ten short films by Johann Lurf, ranging from extremely focused studies on movements and places to conceptual found-footage montages. To disrupt conventional modes of perception and produce new ways of seeing, Lurf builds systems based on mathematic formulas. VERTIGO RUSH combines tracking shots with zooms moving in the opposite direction, generating a frenetic, hallucinatory scenario of transgression of all boundaries. In a similarly virtuoso fashion, RECONNAISSANCE relies on telephoto shots of a former military test plant - with the result that parts of the site look animated as if by an invisible hand. ENDEAVOR uses NASA footage of a space shuttle launch to generate a thoroughly rhythmical staccato of images, beaming the spectator into zero gravity, and back to earth again. Moreover, Lurf keeps zeroing in on given building peculiarities of Vienna’s urban hinterland, to which A to A and PICTURE PERFECT PYRAMID bear vivid structural testimony. Learn more at: http://johannlurf.net
Gina Telaroli is a Cleveland, Ohio-raised and currently NYC-based filmmaker, visual essayist, critic, teacher, and manager of the video archive at Sikelia Productions. “I guess I make accidental, found-footage movies,” says Telaroli of her evolving aesthetic, which includes not only abstract experimental work, short film and feature length films, but also film history-obsessed live action and online criticism.
Something of an autodidact, Telaroli began making film after enrolling in the digital cinema program at the computer science school at DePaul University. The men running the program “knew nothing,” leaving her “free reign to check out the equipment and teach myself,” she says. She moved to New York in 2005, where she started at the bottom of the career ladder. (“I stood in Herald Square and gave people hand massages.”) Telaroli eventually began getting better jobs while expanding her cinema-going activities, which included visiting the city’s still vibrant repertory cinema. Her film-going habits are reflected in image and video essays on her Tumblr—grtelamovies.tumblr.com—juxtaposing shot sequences from films old and new, as well as her co-editing of critical dossiers on William A. Wellman and Allan Dwan.
