les affinités recouvrées (Recovered Affinities)
1994
produced by Cynthia Beth Rubin while artist in residence at I.ME.RE.C (Institut Mediterranéen de Recherche et de Création), under the auspices of VIDEOCHRONIQUES in Marseilles, France, coordinated by Joelle Metzger.
Music by Atau Tanaka.
Technical Assistance: Kate Midgely, François Landroit
les affinités recouvrées is an exploration of the strength of cultural ties. The various visual elements are based on references to historical sites and artifacts from the Moroccan Jewish community. Through the processes of the computer, they are mixed with references which show the influence of the Islamic culture. For the artist, who is Jewish of Ashkenasie origin, this work constitutes the research of culture which is close, and yet forgotten in the passages of history.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION:
The imagery in les Affinités Recouvées is based on still photographs taken by the artist (Cynthia Beth Rubin) in Morocco. The video is completely computer generated. The original photographs were composited inside a Macintosh computer, using various software (Adobe Photoshop, Studio/32, Fractal Design Painter). None of the images that we see in the video actually exists in the real world. The movement was controlled by animation software (Morph, by Gryphon, and Macromind Director)..
featured opening night of 1995 Jewish Film Festivals (San Francisco, Boston) and selected for Florida Film Festival and Pandemonium Festival, among others
Selected Screening and Awards
2006
Yeshiva University Museum, New York NY
2004
Santa Cruz Digital Arts Festival, CA
2002
6th Festival Internacional de Video Arte, Lima Peru
ArtSci2002, New York NY
Buenos Aires Biennial, Argentina
e-phos 2002, Athens Greece
Malaysian Video Awards, National Art Gallery Kuala Lumpur
3Muestra Internacional de Videoarte Cartagena, Barranquilla Columbia
Incubation 2,trAce Conference, Nottingham UK
The Substation, Singapore
Videotage, Hong Kong
Playtime: Platform of Video Art, Johannesburg, South Africa
Fourth Annual Video Marathon, Art in General, New York NY
2001
Glasgow Festival (as part of CADE), Glasgow UK
National Art, Media and Design Educator’s conference, Dusit, Bangkok
MAAP, Brisbane, Australia
Digital Media Festival, University of Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
1998
Maghrebi Arts Festival, Binghamton, NY
1996
The Living Room Festival, Public Television, San Francisco CA
Pandaemonium Festival, Institute of Contemporary Art, London UK
1995
Boston Jewish Film Festival, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston MA (opening night)
Festival Art Vidéo, Casa Blanca, Morocco
Florida Film Festival, Orlando FL
Jewish Film Festival, Castro Theatre, Berkeley CA (opening night)
Vue sur les Docs, Marseilles, France
ISEA (International Symposium on Electronic Art,) Montréal, Québec
Jewish Video Festival, Judas Magnes Museum, San Francisco CA (honorable mention)
Second International New York Video Festival, The Thread Waxing Space NYC, NY
Middle East Studies Association FilmFest, Washington, DC
Candid Camera, Lodz, Poland
SERMEISS - Southeast Regional Middle East Islamic Studies Seminar
1994
DEAF Seminar: computer animation, Lantaren/Venster Theatre, Rotterdam The Netherlands
les Rendez-Vous d’Imagina, Paris and Marseilles, France
Instants de Vidéo, Manosque France
Cable Television Broadcast, Toulouse France
Musée d’Art Contemporain, Grenoble France.
Published Images:
1997
Bridges, Cover Image and pages 54 , 56 , 61 , 62 , 64 , 69