VIDEOART: BERND LÜTZELER

TRAVEL WITH CAUTION!

OPENING: 10. 9. 2024 OD 19H
EXHIBITION: 11. 9. – 2. 11. 2024

In our moving image gallery space, we present two audiovisual essays by German artist and filmmaker Bernd Lützeler. Fascinated by the universality of global issues — urban anxiety, the chaotic nature of urbanization or the visual manifestations of consumer society — Lützeler explores the texture of the Indian megalopolis in his experimental films by using various filmic techniques. Visually densifying those monstrous city scapes, he touches upon many themes typical of Central European public space as well.
The almost meditative film _galore (9 min) shows in slow, precise shots the exuberant commerce of the Indian markets and offers a glimpse into a world made up of nothing but products galore. These goods, stacked to the ceiling and beyond, serve as both the shop interior décor and storefront display, creating an unusual, almost surreal aesthetic experience.
In contrast, the Voice of God (10 min) captures the bustling streets of Mumbai, where people, animals and various traffic literally flow through the city like the wild river, with every inch of asphalt exploited for commercial purposes. For this film, Lützeler shot long exposure time-lapses with his 16mm camera, layering the footage with a voicover speaking in an unknown language. The result is a compelling audiovisual fresco of a modern mega-city.
Bernd Lützeler (*1967, Düsseldorf) studied at the University of the Arts in Berlin. His films have been showcased at various venues and festivals around the world, including the Centre Pompidou, Berlinale, Rotterdam and Ann Arbor Film Festivals, among others. He lives and works between Berlin and Mumbai. www.bernd-luetzeler.de

curators: Tereza Bonaventurová, Martin Fojtek

Bernd Lützeler’s exhibition was supported by the Goethe-Institut Czech Republic. Our exhibition programme is supported by grants from the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the State Fund for Culture of the Czech Republic, the City of Prague and the Prague 1 Municipal District. Thank you!