GYÖRGY KEPES. INTERSEEING ART + SCIENCE

Documentary, documentary, art and science, art and technology, Art +Tech, kinetic art, abstract art, light art, lumino-kinetic art, phtography, painting, environmental art, media art history

Hungary

2023

Runtime, min

„With the scientist’s brain, the poet’s heart and the painter’s eye”—this was the proverb of the Hungarian-American artist, educator, and impresario György Kepes, a forgotten precursor of media art. Kepes was among the first who used the term „visual culture” as an independent research subject in a contemporary sense. As the architect of the Light Workshop at the New Bauhaus/School of Design in Chicago in 1937 and as the founder and first director of the Center for Advanced Visual Studies (CAVS) at MIT in 1967, Kepes’s enterprise was to fill the gap between the humanities and the sciences. The powerful new tools he offered to „intersee” and „intercommunicate” knowledge on a participatory basis proved to be the foundations of a program that defined the aesthetic agency of the ecological consciousness. Márton Orosz’s documentary film is the first comprehensive assessment of Kepes’s animated life, which introduces him not only as a shapeshifter of modernism but also as a polymath and visionary thinker whose legacy and faith in optical democracy grants him a pioneering role in the history of the Art and Technology Movement.

Director:

Márton Orosz

Selections and Awards:

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REVIEWS:

It struck a perfect balance between biography and artistic exploration. It left me wanting to learn more about Kepes.

Federico Passero

Visuals were breathtaking, especially the segments exploring lumino-kinetic art. They felt like a modern tribute to Kepes’s work.

Cristina Forero

This documentary made me realize how much modern media art owes to Kepes’s pioneering ideas.

ნანა კვარატიანი

The archival materials used in the film were incredible. They brought Kepes’s era and ideas vividly to life.

Gaspar Lombardo

Kepes’s life story is fascinating. The documentary does a great job showing how his work influenced so many disciplines.

ნინო ლომიძე

The ecological consciousness angle was fascinating. Kepes’s work feels ahead of its time and still so relevant.

Olivia Jackson

The concept of ‘interseeing’ is so thought-provoking. It made me rethink how we share and perceive knowledge.

ლევან ჩიკვაიძე

Kepes’s passion for education shines through in this film. It’s clear how much he believed in shaping future generations.

Kirill Averin

Kepes’s idea of ‘optical democracy’ feels incredibly relevant today. The documentary brought his vision to life in such a vivid way.

Grigory Kopic

The film beautifully captures Kepes’s multidisciplinary genius. It was inspiring to see how he bridged art and science.

გიორგი ყურდიაშვილი

I had never heard of Kepes before, but this film made me a fan. His vision of uniting disciplines is so inspiring.

Leo Antsiferov

The Light Workshop segment was mesmerizing. It showed the immense creativity Kepes brought to everything he did.

Ella Bernard

The focus on ‘visual culture’ as an independent subject was eye-opening. It made me appreciate how much we owe to his contributions.

Álvaro Lucas

The blend of archival footage and modern visuals was stunning. It created a perfect bridge between past and present.

Sergi Balay

SHORT PRODUCER'S ANALYSIS:

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