Two of the most common strategies that contemporary artists use when working with archival footage are explored in the pair of exhibitions,‘Remixed’4 October – 17 November 2012)‘Remade’22 November 2012 – 2 February 2013). Artists directly respond to materials housed in The Film Archive collection, re-editing and sampling source materials for ‘Remixed’ and re-staging scenes from source material in ‘Remade’.

Questioning audience preconceptions about authenticity and originality, these exhibitions acknowledge the significance of historical archival material in contemporary visual culture’s endeavor to produce new meanings. A remix, in general, is a reinterpretation of pre-existing material where the essence of the original remains dominant in the remixed version. Developed in the New York music scene of the 1960s it has become a fundamental practice of post-modern culture. As a process of deconstruction it allows for a transparent awareness of the history and politics behind an artwork, through its constant revising of histories the remix provokes the imaginations of contemporary audience and artist alike.

Floor Talk on Friday 5 October at 5.30pm
Film Screening on Saturday 20 October at 4.30pm

'Remixed' is part of the Ngā Kaitiaki O Ngā Taonga Whitiāhua / The New Zealand Film Archive's new initiative, Curator-At-Large. The programme was established "as a way of inviting new people to explore our collections, make new collections, and add new material to our collections". Opening access to our collections and inviting subject specialists will allow us to discover new information about the collection and new ways of looking at New Zealand’s moving image history. We are also hoping to develop new audiences and to increase our knowledge of, and appreciation for different areas of the collections.

Each year the focus or subject specialty of the Curator-At-Large will be different. In its inaugural year, the four exhibitions will explore current themes and approaches to video art showcasing work from established and emerging artists. This year, two curators have been appointed, Jenny Gillam and Eugene Hansen who have curated a series of four exhibitions that range in subject matter and ways of using video art.