The Vasulka Effect (Iceland, 2019) is a documentary that depicts the life and art of Steina and Woody Vasulka, who were pioneers in video art.
Steina is from Iceland and Woody was born in Czechoslovakia. Their work in video art dates back to the late 60s when they lived and worked in New York, where they founded the performance stage The Kitchen. Some have called them the grandparents of video art, but at the same time they have been partly forgotten by the art world.
Calmly but humorously, they struggle with the finances and management of their art and think about how they can leave their archive to posterity. During the course of the film, we meet them in various places around the world. Their journey eventually brings them back to Iceland, where they receive recognition through a special venture in video art from the National Gallery of Iceland. The film allows us an insight into their large-scale production and we can begin to understand the impact that video has had on art and society from the 60s until today. The film is directed by Hrafnhildur Gunnarsdóttir.
Duration: 85 minutes
Language: English and Icelandic
Text: English
Age restriction: 7
