Screenings:
Thursday, October 18th from 6:30 - 7:30pm
Thursday, October 25th from 6:30 - 7:30pm

The screenings will also be on view during regular gallery hours
Tuesday through Saturday, 11am - 6pm, Oct. 23rd - Nov. 3rd
Programs will alternate hourly.
The gallery will be closing at 3pm on Saturday, November 3rd.

Since its inception decades ago, video art has gradually become a medium that can no longer be labeled unconventional or Avant-Garde. And although the German painting phenomenon has recently been a strong export on the international art scene, conversations continue about other forms of German art, including historical perspectives in video.

Having lived in Berlin the last few years I began to notice the possible ways in which cultural languages begin to change when crossing The Atlantic. The idea of sharing some of the current video works that I have recently seen in Germany to an American audience is just one way to open a dialogue about what is happening in this part of Europe at this time. But it would not be fair to suggest that these evenings could offer a comprehensive overview of the video art coming out of Germany (and this is by no means another Biennale). However what is being presented is a small spectrum of projects involving narration, abstraction, found footage, documentation, loud theatrics, poetic discussions, and the breaking of some rules (and maybe even some laws). One could say these positions may not yet be positions. But the videos being presented still become vehicles for making a comment, taking a risk, hitting a nerve, or simply trying to offer a small glimpse at something beautiful.

The artists are currently working in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Dresden, Leipzig, Stuttgart, and Karlsruhe, and many will be presenting their works for the first time in The United States.

Click here to view a PDF of the video program.

John von Bergen was born in Connecticut in 1971, and received his B.F.A. Degree with Honors at The School of Visual Arts in New York. In 2003 von Bergen moved to Berlin with an invitation from the Berlin Senate for Culture. Since living in Germany, von Bergen's work has been exhibited in various galleries and venues including Halle 14 in Leipzig, Wilhelm Hack Museum in Ludwigshafen, Kunstraum Innsbruck in Austria, and The Brno House of Art in Czech Republic. This last spring he was invited for a residency at "7. Stock" in Dresden. In September von Bergen opened a solo exhibition titled "THE ITCH" at Galerie Lena Bruening in Berlin, and was also recently profiled in the book "Berlin Art (No. 1)" by Stefan Maria Rother. Upcoming projects include a presentation at "Elektrohaus" in Hamburg, and a collaborative work with the writer Jonathan Lethem.

For more information please contact

Sara Meltzer Gallery
525-531 West 26th, 4th Floor
New York NY 10001
info@sarameltzergallery.com