BFI Gallery facts for kids
The BFI Gallery was a special art gallery in London. It was part of BFI Southbank, a big place for films. This gallery showed "artists' moving image," which means art made with film, video, and other digital media.
The gallery opened on March 14, 2007. It was funded by the British Film Institute (BFI) with help from Arts Council England. The BFI Gallery was a place where artists could show new and exciting works.
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What Was the BFI Gallery?
The BFI Gallery was a unique space dedicated to showing art that moved. Imagine art not just on a canvas, but on a screen! It was a place where artists used film, video, and digital tools to tell stories and create amazing experiences.
A Place for Moving Art
The gallery's program included new art projects, special events, and film screenings. Elisabetta Fabrizi, the BFI Head of Exhibitions, chose all the art shown there. It was a chance for people to see art that was different from what you might find in a traditional museum.
Amazing Artists and Their Work
Many famous artists showed their work at the BFI Gallery. Some of these included Michael Snow, John Akomfrah, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, and Michel Gondry. These artists created films and video installations that made people think and feel.
For example, John Akomfrah created a film called 'Mnemosyne'. This film explored themes of memory and people moving to new places. It used old film clips from the 1960s to the 1980s mixed with new pictures of Birmingham. Visitors found it very powerful.
Another artist, Julian Rosefeldt, showed 'American Night'. This was a complex film installation with five screens. It used the style of old American Western movies to make people think about modern world events.
Yvonne Rainer, a famous dancer and filmmaker, also had a major show. Her work looked at how politics and private life connect in everyday living. She influenced many new video artists and choreographers.
The last exhibition at the gallery was by Phil Collins. His show, 'Marxism Today', used films, videos, and photos from former East Germany. It also included memories from teachers who lived there.
Why Did the Gallery Close?
The BFI Gallery closed because the government decided to cut funding for the BFI. This meant the BFI had less money to run all its activities. So, they had to make some changes.
The space where the gallery used to be was turned into the BFI Reuben Library. This new library opened in 2012. To remember the gallery, a special book called 'The BFI Gallery Book' was published in January 2011.
External links
- Kubrick's lost movie: Now we can see it...
- John Akomfrah
- Phil Collins
- Yes Snow Show: Michael Snow At The BFI - The Wire
- Patrick Keiller: The City of the Future
