Tierra Whack’s 2018 Whack World screens on Aug. 25.
The alley looks a lot like a place your parents might have taught you to avoid; but by all means, check this one out.
This summer marks the third annual iteration of Off the Wall, an outdoor, guerilla-style short film series put on by Madison’s Arts +Literature Laboratory (ALL). With showings every Saturday in August beginning at 9 p.m. (with “doors” opening at 8:30 p.m.), the event is a perfect way to experience a slice of artfully unpolished Madison nightlife.
Held in a city alleyway abutting ALL, located at 2021 Winnebago St., three out of the four screenings (the Aug. 18 showing will be moved inside due to the Schenk’s Corners Block Party), are projected onto a brick wall. According to ALL co-curator Max Puchalsky, the location gives viewers the chance to take in the work in a novel environment.
“This gives community members street-level access to experience the program in an edgy yet welcoming neighborhood environment,” says Puchalsky, adding that audiences enjoy the novel setting.
Billed as a cross-section of contemporary works of short, experimental film produced in the last three years, the series has featured the work of 77 different artists from 50 countries; curators Simone Doing and Puchalsky screened nearly 250 submissions to choose this year’s programs.
Featured this year are the dreamlike Whack World by Tierra Whack (Aug. 25), where a flurry of human characters populate beautifully rendered landscapes in 15 brief sections. Referred to as an audio album with visual counterparts, the 15 “track” film floats jaggedly through a dreamlike backdrop.
The two-minute The Drifting Stages 2 (Aug. 18) sees Wang Yefeng, a Chinese artist, reflect on his time living in the United States with a series of captivating, experimental 3D animations and images. The film’s dramatic environments refer to Yefeng’s actual memories of spaces he has lived in the United States, creating work that is visually arresting and emotionally resonant.
Local artists are also represented, with pieces by John Hitchcock, Dustin Imray, Rebecca Kautz and Mats Rudels.
Hitchcock’s film, Bury the Hatchet, (Aug. 11), traces the history of the Medicine Park and Wichita Mountains regions of Oklahoma, splicing kaleidoscopic animations with landscape film and arresting voiceovers.
While the films on display are extensive and varied in tone and approach, the pieces chosen for Off the Wall share a set of common principles: They all work to push the boundaries of film as a medium. “It’s hard to define,” says Puchalsky, “... but we know it when we see it.”
