FILM

The starting point of Steve Reinke and James Richards’ When We Were Monsters is a film made by the artist Gretchen Bender (1951–2004), who drew upon a cache of forensic images – depicting infections, deformities, and morbid injuries – given to her by a plastic surgeon. When We Were Monsters, made at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, is marked by an atmosphere of molecular porosity and existential vastness. Expanding Bender’s medical gaze to include a broader scientific gaze, Reinke and Richards weave an affective tapestry of images – featuring Ivan Pavlov’s ghost dogs, wounds, flowers, stains, fire ceremonies, and hallucinations, among other flashes of eros. (Julia Stoschek Foundation)

English spoken