It’s universally accepted that taking art forms across disciplines is a great idea. But it’s still exciting and encouraging when artists and institutions find significant ways to do this that not only make sense, but offer some real creative synergy and broader appreciation for the art forms involved.
A perfect example of this would be the Tribeca Film Festival 2016 Artists Awards program. As organizers have done every year since the festival was founded in 2002 by by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff, TFF will award original work by 10 accomplished contemporary artists to winning filmmakers at this year’s event, following a public exhibition of the work.
Curated by Alex Gartenfeld, Deputy Director and Chief Curator at the Institute of Contemporary Art Miami, the roster of contemporary artists participating in the 15th edition of the program include new contributors Keith Edmier, Marc Hundley, Zak Kitnick, John Miller, Virginia Overton, Laura Owens, Josh Tonsfeldt and Sara VanDerBeek, as well as longtime supporters Stephen Hannock and Clifford Ross, according to a release from the festival. The Artists Awards program is sponsored by Chanel.
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Virginia Overton: "Untitled" by Virginia Overton, 2014. Lithograph, 28 1/8 x 22 3/8 inches.
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Each artist has personally selected an original work to be awarded to the winning filmmakers selected by the TFF jury at the 15th annual festival, presented by AT&T, which runs April 13 to April 24, 2016. All the works selected by the artists will be featured in a free, public exhibition from April 11 to April 23, 2016 at the Tribeca Festival Hub, 50 Varick Street, Manhattan, before being presented to the award-winning filmmakers.
Quoted in the release, TFF co-founder and Tribeca Enterprises Executive Chair Jane Rosenthal said, "The Artists Awards were all about art from one artist to another, and the importance of artists supporting each other’s work across disciplines. Over the past 15 years, we've been fortunate to partner with some of world's finest contemporary artists to award original work to the winning filmmakers. I’m proud to continue that tradition with these 10 artists.”
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"Temple of the Moon" by Sara VanDerBeek, 2014. Digital C-Print, 24 x 16.75 inches.
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Artists Awards curator Alex Gartenfeld added: “The Tribeca Film Festival has a deep, decades-long commitment to excellence, to supporting emerging and established voices, and to the city itself. That dedication is reflected in the selection of artists for 2016, which also highlights the pervasive influence of new media, cinema and film on contemporary art production and images.”
The release noted that the tradition of celebrating New York artists has been a part of TFF since its first year, when Rosenthal brought together downtown artists for the first Artists Awards program. Past participants have included Matthew Barney, Francesco Clemente, Chuck Close, Anh Duong, Rachel Feinstein, Maurizio Galimberti, Nan Goldin, Ellsworth Kelly, Jeff Koons, Brice Marden, Yoko Ono, David Salle, Julian Schnabel, Cindy Sherman, and Kara Walker, among many others.
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"It’s You and Me Kid," by Marc Hundley, 2012. Xerox Print, 11 x 8.5 inches.
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Now entering its 15th year, the Tribeca Film Festival has changed from its original identity as an annual event to spur economic and cultural revitalization in lower Manhattan following the fall of the World Trade Towers in 2001. According to the release, it has become “a gathering place for filmmakers, artists, innovators, and the global creative community. Through programs that embrace storytelling in all of its expansive forms—from film and music, to video games and online work—TFF reimagines the cinematic experience and explores how art can unite communities.”
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BASIC FACTS: The 2016 Tribeca Film Festival Artists Awards Collection, featuring work by Keith Edmier, Stephen Hannock, Marc Hundley, Zak Kitnick, John Miller, Virginia Overton, Laura Owens, Clifford Ross, Josh Tonsfeldt and Sara VanDerBeek, will be exhibited from April 11 through April 23, 2016 at Tribeca Festival Hub, 50 Varick Street, Manhattan, 10013. www.tribecafilm.com
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