Eve Sussman and the Rufus Corporation 89 seconds at Alcázar 30 September – 26 November  2006

“I would love if you went to a piece of video art and got emotionally involved the way you do at the movies.” - Eve Sussman.

Direct from New York, the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery is to hold the New Zealand premiere of Eve Sussman and the Rufus Corporation’s 89 seconds at Alcázar.

89 seconds at Alcázar is a lavish and evocative re-creation of the moments leading up to and immediately following the scene portrayed in the masterpiece Las Meninas (Maids of Honour), painted by Diego Velázquez in 1656.

Capturing the enticing mystery of one of the world’s most famous paintings, the video installation was the critics favourite at the New York 2004 Whitney Biennial and has since been shown worldwide.

Gallery Director, Rhana Devenport says Sussman’s video is mesmerising and captures the mystery of the masterpiece painted by Velázquez. “89 seconds at Alcázar is a powerful and exquisitely beautiful evocation not only on this extraordinary historical work, but on the very notion of painting itself.” 

Sussman auditioned 200 people in a four-day casting frenzy and shooting took place over a number of days and required a month of set and costume design.  Sussman and Rebecca Graves collaborated on the creation of the set that accurately captured 17th century Spain. Their research included studying the 1660 architectural plans of the palace in order to recreate the scale of the room in the Alcázar.
 

 Sussman’s inspiration for the video began when she first had a glimpse of Las Meninas at the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid. Sussman was amazed at the snapshot-like quality of the painting, that predates photography by centuries. “Any gesture, at any point, is interesting,” notes the artist. “You can take any minute and a half from the whole (89 seconds at Alcázar) piece, and it does the same thing. It’s some moment coming together and falling apart.”

 
But rather than re-create Las Meninas, Sussman used it as a point of departure for improvisation and artistic revision while staying faithful to the time period in which it was created. “My work originates from fascination with simple gestures and casual expressions, which I observe, capture, and stage in videos, films, installations, and photographs.”
 

 Accompanying the video, the exhibition includes a selection of photographs and flat screen ‘moving paintings’ works from the project. The Govett-Brewster Art Gallery is the only venue in New Zealand to show this work.
 
ENDS
 

 
For further information see www.govettbrewster.com and to arrange interviews please contact:

Rhana Devenport
Director
rhanad@govettbrewster.com
+64-6-759-0851

Lauren Andreoli                                 
Communications Officer  
laurena@govettbrewster.com
+64-6-759-6717