I stumbled upon this video still from “Whose Utopia” by Cao Fei at the current Carnegie International website. I have not seen the video myself, but I am extremely taken by this image. Here is what the Carnegie site says about the piece:
“Set in a lightbulb factory in Foshan (and originally commissioned by electronics giant Siemens), the film Whose Utopia (2006-2007) might be read as a eulogy to China’s recent economic and manufacturing boom. Amid scenes dominated by almost hypnotic “mechanical ballets” of assembly-line processes and movements—neon tubes being soldered or tested, for example—there are sequences in which individual workers from the facility perform literal dances of their own. Dressed in decidedly non-company-issue clothing, these men and women are seen moving gracefully between the machines, like sprites consumed by an entirely personal, whimsical, and perhaps defiant choreography. Their escapist “purposeless” performances effect a stark contrast with seemingly relentless progress as the production of consumer goods continues unabated around them. The dances seem to bring a more spiritual dimension into the regular and no doubt less emotionally illuminating activities in the bulb factory.”
What a beautiful concept. If anyone finds the video on-line, please let me know.
Hey Barry, I don’t know where you can find this, but it reminds me of a movie Joris Ivens made for Philips Radio in the Netherlands back in the early 30’s. I think it’s called Industrial Symphony or Symphonie Industrielle. I guees it’s more of a Western European version. The workers are all filthy and don’t dance, but some speakers do (a la stop motion) at the end. There is an amazing shot in it of one of the glass blowers who made the vacuum tubes that is put into a different context when you find out that the average life expectancy for his position is 45. Apparently all the stress of making tubes all day killed them. Maybe they should have danced.
Thanks Jarrod.
I found a compilation dvd that includes the work of Ivens at Netflix. It doesn’t say if it includes Industrial Symphony but I’m sure it will be fun to watch anyway. Im pretty excited about the dvd coming in, it also includes short films by Man Ray and Duchamp.
I read his autobiography a few years ago. He tried to build a camera mount that simulated human walking. It didn’t work, but he tried. He also ran around with Hemingway in Spain for a bit.