In 1916 the Italian Futurist artist Arnaldo Ginna filmed, edited and generally oversaw the creation of Vita Futurista (Futurist Life), the only officially “Futurist” film ever made. Created by a committee of futurists, including sculptor, painter and writer Giacomo Balla, playwright and poet Remo Chiti, writer Bruno Corra (also the brother of Ginna, and the co-creator of Ginna’s hand painted completely abstract films of 1909), founder of Futurism, poet, and declaimer F.T. Marinetti, poet and Author Emilio Settimelli, painter and Ginna’s film assistant Lucia Venna and Paolo Ungari, Vita Futurista directly took up several of the ideas proposed by “The Futurist Cinema” manefesto, which delacred that film was the “expressive medium most adapted to the complete sensibility of the Futurist artist.”

On the occasion of Performa 09’s celebration of Futurism, Performa, SFMOMA and Portland Green Cultural Projects had invited an incredible group of contemporary film and video artists to create their own versions of the original segments in Vita Futurista, re-imagining this film in relation to our future.

George Kuchar’s Acid Redux was inspired by “Drama of Objects”.

George Kuchar grew up with his twin brother, Mike, in the Bronx where he initially worked in commercial art to support his 8mm filmmaking hobby. In the 60s, the Kuchar brothers began earning enough money to be able to work in the 16mm format and became a central part of burgeoning underground film movement in New York in the early 70s. Kuchar was invited to teach filmmaking at the San Francisco Arts institute, and he has been there ever since, working in a variety of different formats and continuing to be as prolific as ever. Kuchar’s films include Hold ‘em While I’m Naked, Corruption of the Damned, and Color me Shameless, and his video titles –including diaries, dramas done with his film students, and portraits of places with living things- include Vile Cargo, Fill Thy Crack with Whiteness, and Kiss of the Veggie Vision. He recently authored a book of memoir and filmmaking tips called Reflections from a Cinematic Cesspool.

RIGHTS CONTACT: not held