80 Washington Square East, NYU

Seasonal Affective

November 9, 2023 – February 3, 2024

80WSE

Charles Atlas / Merce Cunningham
Stephen Beck
Forcefield
Maggie Lee
Chris Marker

Seasonal Affective features resonant video selections from the catalog of Electronic Arts Intermix (EAI) presented throughout 80WSE. Works by Charles Atlas / Merce Cunningham, Stephen Beck, Forcefield, Maggie Lee, and Chris Marker evoke psychic intimacies of nature, color, sound, and movement to traverse autumnal and brumal time. 

Seasonal Affective culminates with a rare exhibition presentation of Coast Zone (1983), a video-dance collaboration between Merce Cunningham and Charles Atlas originally shot in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. A hypnotic meditation on camera movement and dance choreography, the film features a composition by Larry Austin performed by John Cage, Martin Kalve, Takehisa Kosugi and David Tudor, setting the dancers to minimalistic percussion and quiet voiceover repeating the word "discordance."   

The acidic synaesthesia of Anima (1974) and Union (1975) by video synthesis pioneer Stephen Beck fuses generated video optics and corporeal forms to reflect on material and spiritual unification. A full collection of early videos by artist collective Forcefield, Forcefield Video Collection (1996-2000), further extends analog aesthetics into the realm of neo-primivitism and decrepit futurism, foregrounding costumed performers and non-human protagonists in hallucinatory scenes.

Maggie Lee’s feverish urban encounters in Fall NYC (2014) and Hand Dryer (2012) appear in contrast to selections from Chris Marker’s intimate Bestiare (1985-90) series, featuring his beloved cat Guillaume-en-Egypte and a beguiling owl in direct closeup view.

Organized by Howie Chen in collaboration with Electronic Arts Intermix (EAI) Produced by Jon Huron

Special thanks to Rebecca Cleman, Executive Director, and Karl McCool, Distribution Director, at Electronic Arts Intermix (EAI)


Installation view of the exhibition featuring a snapshot of just before one enters the glass doors of the gallery. From this angle, a still from the projected video in the lobby sits behind the glass door on a brick wall.
Installation view of the a video work in the exhibition projected inside a glass foyer against a brick wall. The still consists of a brown cat lying on piano keys.
Installation view of the video installation in the gallery space. The room consists of one large space with a large projector a the end. On the left, a doorway lets in light to another room, on the right, a white wall sits in the shadows.
Installation view of the video installation in the gallery space. The room consists of one large space with a large projector a the end. On the left, a doorway lets in light to another room, on the right, a white wall sits in the shadows. In the foreground of the exhibition, a wooden bench sits facing the projection.
Close up image of a video monitor in the exhibition. The video monitor is hung on a white wall. The still on the screen from the image consists of a white circle against a black background. The circle is shiny and has various other circle inside it.
Installation view of a large screen hanging on a dark wall in one of the gallery spaces. The room is dark, but is lit up by the screen.
Installation view of a room in the gallery. On the left, a projector screen is hung against a dark wall. The lights are off and the source of light comes from the screen. The still from the video consists of a black figure with a white ball and black hood where their head is supposed to be. The background is orange. In the middle, a powered-off television monitor hangs on the wall. On the right, a hallway leads to another room in the gallery.
Installation view of a room in the exhibition. In the background, two wooden benches are pushed up against the wall and meet at the corner. Two television monitors hang from the ceiling facing away from one another.
Installation view of a projected video in a large white room. The projector screen is mounted in the corner of the room. The still on the screen in this installation image features a head on shot of an owl. The owl is edited in a greener tone than natural color.
Installation view of a projected video in a large white room. The projector screen is mounted in the corner of the room. The still on the screen in this installation image features a head on shot of an owl looking at the viewer. The owl is edited in a greener tone than natural color.
View of the installation of a video in the exhibition. The video is projects against a dark wall at the front of the room. The backs of the wooden benches, arranged like church pews, can be seen from the camera angle at the back of the room. The white walls have large foam pads to absorb the sound. At this moment, the still from the video in the installation view image features a dancer in a blue leotard. In the back of the still, another dancer wears a blue leotard in the shadows.
View of the installation of a video in the exhibition. The video is projects against a dark wall at the front of the room. The backs of the wooden benches, arranged like church pews, can be seen from the camera angle at the back of the room. The white walls have large foam pads to absorb the sound. At this moment, the still from the video in the installation view image features a dancer in a blue leotard. In the back of the still, another dancer wears a blue leotard in the shadows.
View of the installation of a video in the exhibition. The video is projects against a dark wall at the front of the room. The backs of the wooden benches, arranged like church pews, can be seen from the camera angle at the back of the room. The white walls have large foam pads to absorb the sound. At this moment, the still from the video in the installation view image features to dancers one in front of the other from the torso up as they look off into the distance.
Photos by Carter Seddon