L'ARTE DI RIVELARE L’ARTE: IL CASO JEF CORNELIS

During next months, the work of Jef Cornelis will be hightlighted in Italy. The Museum Castello di Rivoli and the Accademia delle Belle Arti di Torino jointly present a series of screenings focused on Cornelis’s engagement with the fine arts. Jef Cornelis was from 1963 to 1998 producer, director en screenplay writer at VRT, the Dutch-language Belgian public broadcaster. During those thirty five years, Cornelis realized an impressive oeuvre. It includes more than 200 titles and is both artistically and cultural-historically pioneering. In the late 1960s, the Cornelis made short films on Documenta 4 (1968), Sonsbeek Buiten de Perken (1971) and other art events for programmes on contemporary art. In dialogue with then young but established artists, such as Joseph Beuys or Christo, Cornelis played the devil’s advocate, donning the shoes of the uncomprehending ’homme moyen’. Brimming with honesty and veiled irony, Cornelis made no bones about interrogating artists on the whys and wherefores of their actions. In contrast to this pretended adversity, however, Cornelis was personally very involved in contemporary art. He was fascinated by the activities of artists such as Marcel Broodthaers and James Lee Byars, and in addition to filming unique portraits of them, by the late 1960s, his engagement had extended well beyond the camera.

Castello di Rivoli
05.02.2011
James Lee Byars, Antwerpen 18 april – 7 mei 1969. 1969, 32’30", b&w, English spoken.
Daniel Buren. 1971, 5’40", b&w, Dutch and French spoken, English subtitles.
26.02.2011
Documenta 5. 1972, 53’19", colour and b&w, Dutch, English, French and German spoken, English subtitles.
05.03.2011
Sonsbeek Buiten de Perken. 1971, 46’03", Dutch, English and French spoken, English subtitles.
26.03.2011
Documenta 4. 1968, 53’40", b&w, Dutch, English, French and German spoken, English subtitles.
Richard Hamilton, 15 mei – 28 juni 1970. 1970, 5’30", b&w, Dutch spoken, English subtitles.
02.04.2011
A weekend with Monsieur Magritte. 1997, 54’25", colour, English spoken.
Marcel Broodthaers °1924. 1972, 5’06", b&w, Dutch and French spoken, English subtitles.
Marcel Broodthaers: Musée d’art du XVIIe siècle. 1969, 4’58", b&w, Dutch and French spoken, English subtitles.
16.04.2011
Een openbaar bad voor Munster. 1987, 40’, colour, Dutch and German spoken, English subtitles.
Spaziergaenger mit Hund - Sonsbeek 86. 1986, 30’18", colour, Dutch running text, Dutch spoken, English subtitles.
30.04.2011
LITTLE SPARTA, et in Arcadia ego. 1988, 41’45", colour, English spoken.
07.05.2011
Martial Raysse. 1967, 13’55", French spoken, English subtitles.
21.05.2011
De langste dag. 1986, 375’48", coulour, Dutch, English, French and Italian spoken, English subtitles.

www.castellodirivoli.org

Accademia delle Belle Arti di Torino
05.02.2011
Documenta 5. 1972, 53’19", colour and b&w, Dutch, English, French and German spoken, English subtitles.
10.02.2011
James Lee Byars, Antwerpen 18 april – 7 mei 1969. 1969, 32’30", b&w, English spoken.
Daniel Buren. 1971, 5’40", b&w, Dutch and French spoken, English subtitles.
26.03.2011
Sonsbeek Buiten de Perken. 1971, 46’03", Dutch, English and French spoken, English subtitles.
02.04.2011
Documenta 4. 1968, 53’40", b&w, Dutch, English, French and German spoken, English subtitles.
16.04.2011
A weekend with Monsieur Magritte. 1997, 54’25", colour, English spoken.
Marcel Broodthaers °1924. 1972, 5’06", b&w, Dutch and French spoken, English subtitles.
Marcel Broodthaers: Musée d’art du XVIIe siècle. 1969, 4’58", b&w, Dutch and French spoken, English subtitles.
14.05.2011
Een openbaar bad voor Munster. 1987, 40’, colour, Dutch and German spoken, English subtitles.

www.accademialbertina.torino.it