CINE-MINIMALISM, May-June
1999

Darfi Olya

May 12 – June 10

"Cine-Minimalism" – a conceptual project organized by Olga Darfi, consists of an exhibition and the screenings of films that illustrate the cine-minimalistic conception. The exhibition includes a demonstration of a few components of a conventional film process – an imitation of a cinefilm (paper) and reflection (mirror). These components could be called "protoelements" (a word loaned from supremacists). The combination of such "protoelements" turns into a certain abstract film, which plays up space and time in its own way. The exhibits create a certain environment which is bound to affect the perception of "real" films being shown. With regard to this exhibition, cine-minimalism can be interpreted as cine-supremacism, because, unlike "real" cinema where the principle of editing is used, here a turn to "protoelements" is played up and the principle of collage (giving the effect of a scattered meaning) is used.

A film can be thought of as a mimesis (derived from Greek, reflection, image) of the real world. But, as it often happens nowadays, the film presents a mimesis of not the real one, but of the world which has been reflected by mass-media and by cinematography as well. Once reflected, the real world is no longer the real one, it is quite different, and this different world can be endlessly reflected in art again and again.

"Cine-Minimalism" can be considered to be "producing reality by art", or viewed as a certain game with certain constructions defined beforehand, but with no rules; more precisely, as a game following the only rule of minimal logic – "contradiction can cause anything".

Films to be screened:
"Cinema" R. Parasyan
"Game" G. Atnev
"Dreams" A. Fenchenko
"Once We Lived In the Mountains" U. Shilkina
"Trip" A. Kott
"Fedra" I. Khotinenko
"Ailostera" O. Darfi

All films are contributed by artists.

The site has been created with the assistance of the "Open Society Institute" (Soros Foundation). Russia