a project by cristian manzutto produced by estudio de producción

This long form video essay on the life and work of Jimmie Durham contains footage shot on a number of different occasions over the past decade. Manzutto spent time with Durham while working in his studio or installing an exhibition, and during public conversations or seated around the dinner table in a private setting. He gathered footage in sites ranging from Berlin to Mexico City, from London to Venice. Rather than interviewing the artist, Manzutto simply shot what was happening in that moment. Over time, the presence of the camera became so commonplace as to almost disappear, allowing for numerous candid, and completely unscripted, moments. Non-linear and non-narrative, the film provides insights into various facets of Durham’s practice — the topics that inspire him, his thinking about materials, and the role of the artist in society — and enhances our understanding of the many chapters of his life, his political views, thoughts on religion, and his overall philosophy of life and art.

Anne Ellegood