Art Exhibition Writing Review

Deliverable for final submission: Hard copy 500-word Word doc handed in to instructor

Attend a film/video screening, a performance art piece or a multi-media exhibition. Relate what you review to the concepts behind Time-based Strategies through critical analysis (‘critical’ not necessarily entailing negativity) rather than simple praise.

Points to consider when writing your review:

What is the underlying theme/message behind the film, performance, media installation? What is it about?

Does the concept behind this particular work warrant a need to be time-based? How does the unraveling of time affect the piece?

How does sound affect the piece? (Dialogue, music, noise)

How do you respond to it formally? Conceptually? Materially?

Why do you appreciate it? Or: Why does it disturb you?

What is the curatorial premise?

If reviewing a screening of short films/videos by various artists, how do the works relate to each other within the context of the overall screening? Why did the curator decide to group together these particular pieces?

If reviewing a collection of films/videos by one artist, how do the pieces function within the artist’s body of work?

A review should also provide a historical background for the current works (i.e. what has led up to them, historically and in terms of the particular artist(s)’ oeuvre) and convey some knowledge of related contemporary works by other artists.

Your response should be grammatically correct and professional. Approach this as if you are

writing it for a magazine review as an art critic. 

Aside from your analysis/critique, standard information should be provided:

Artist(s)’ name(s)

Title of show

Title of individual works discussed

Date of show

Gallery/museum/site location

Brief description of work(s) – form, media, duration, etc.