Curated and introduced by Christine Rüffert, University of Bremen

Translated from German

Pornography generally pursues the goal of sexually stimulating the viewer. Artistic film is under different circumstances when it addresses or shows sexual acts. Whether erotic fantasies are staged out of an autobiographical impulse, whether masturbation or everyday intercourse is celebrated, the aesthetic processing always refuses the maximum visibility that pornography demands. 
In addition, normative assumptions about gender and sexuality are often confronted in partly playful productions. The program shows that this transgressive impetus was already evident in the early avant-garde films of the 1940s and can be traced to the queer-activist performances of the 2000s.

The event is part of the public lecture series “Critical Porn Studies – Artistic-Media Positions and New Perspectives” , which deals with the artistic and queer-feminist strategies and media production and reception processes of pornography.

The Films:
Kenneth Anger | Fire works | USA 1947 | 13:30
Michael Brynntrup | All you can eat | Germany 1993 | 35mm | 5:30
Barbara Hammer | Multiple Orgasms | United States 1976 | 16mm | 6:00
Carolee Schneeman | Fuses | United States 1964 | sil. | 16mm| 25:00 
Ashley Hans Scheirl | 1/2 Frogs Fuck Nimble| A 1992-96 | 16mm | 18:00

The program is part of the ongoing curatorial series »film:art«, which exhibits films between art and cinema. More information and newsletter can be found here.