Ready-Mades with Interest
by Rebecca Jane Arthur, 2017, 25'
Courtesy of the artist

Presented at VISIO. Moving Images After Post-Internet (2019)
After the artist found a 1967 concert ticket in Vienna, a letter from her father initiates a grander investigation into the socio-political backdrop of the music played that night. In conversation with her father, they explore a number of eras in Austria, spanning from the Strauss family’s waltz era to the rise of fascism and the blemish it left on contemporary politics. The concert ticket and his letter become ‘ready-mades with interest’ which spark a contemplation on how past and present day intertwine, and upon the tension between the beauty of the waltz and the realities of the contemporary times. The film, shown along with a slide of the ticket and two artists’ books, becomes a touching portrait of her father as he shares his knowledge and memories with her.

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