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“Art is an outlet toward regions which are not ruled by time and space”
— Marcel Duchamp

Avant-Guardian Musings is a curated space of ideas and information, resources, reviews and readings for undergraduate and graduate students studying modern and contemporary art history and visual art theory, film and photography studies, and the expanding field of visual culture and screen studies. For students currently enrolled in my courses or the field school, the blog and associated social media links also serve as a place of reflection and an extension of the ideas and visual material raised in lecture and seminar discussion.

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Blog
From the Archives | How (And Why) To Take Excellent Lecture Notes
From the Archives | How (And Why) To Take Excellent Lecture Notes
about 10 months ago
Weekly Musings + Round Up... And A Few More Things
Weekly Musings + Round Up... And A Few More Things
about 2 years ago
Weekly Musings + Round Up... And A Few More Things
about 2 years ago
Weekly Musings + Round Up... And A Few More Things
Weekly Musings + Round Up... And A Few More Things
about 2 years ago
Top 10 Modern and Contemporary Art Exhibitions Worth Visiting In 2023
Top 10 Modern and Contemporary Art Exhibitions Worth Visiting In 2023
about 2 years ago

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Delighted to find these iconic Tom Ford Whitney’s deep in my closet over the weekend ✨☀️🕶️Anyone else remember these sunglasses from back in the day? I want to say these are well over 15 years old and they were a very big splurge, but I loved
Delighted to find these iconic Tom Ford Whitney’s deep in my closet over the weekend ✨☀️🕶️Anyone else remember these sunglasses from back in the day? I want to say these are well over 15 years old and they were a very big splurge, but I loved rediscovering and wearing them today. Great design is timeless. Invest in things you love— your future self will thank you✨ . . . #tomford #sunglasses #tomfordwhitney #whatiwore #shamelessselfie
If Seoul was a colour, it would be neon and bright, and if it was a shape, it would be curved and post-structural.
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#artanddesign #odetoacity #urban #seoul #korea #design #contemporaryart #architecture
If Seoul was a colour, it would be neon and bright, and if it was a shape, it would be curved and post-structural. . . . #artanddesign #odetoacity #urban #seoul #korea #design #contemporaryart #architecture
Visited the stunning Leeum Museum of Art today and took in the spatial delights of Korean architecture married to modern art. What I love most is how the familiar European and American “masters” (i.e. Rodin, Giacometti, Rauschenberg, Hess
Visited the stunning Leeum Museum of Art today and took in the spatial delights of Korean architecture married to modern art. What I love most is how the familiar European and American “masters” (i.e. Rodin, Giacometti, Rauschenberg, Hesse, Flavin, Rothko, Andre, Lewitt, Stella, etc…) are curated both in dialogue with Korean modern artists such as Lee Ufan and Kim Chong-yung, but also in juxtaposition to the beautiful natural setting that is showcased through large windows throughout the complex. A must see gallery if you visit Seoul. . . . #seoul #korea #modernart #contemporaryart #koreanart #arthistory
Flaneur for the day in Seoul ✨🇰🇷 A global city of high contrast, beauty, and living history around every corner.
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#seoul #korea #flaneur #daytripping #streetart #contemporaryart #modernart #urbanart #arthistory #urban #globalcity
Flaneur for the day in Seoul ✨🇰🇷 A global city of high contrast, beauty, and living history around every corner. . . . #seoul #korea #flaneur #daytripping #streetart #contemporaryart #modernart #urbanart #arthistory #urban #globalcity
Hello Seoul! 🇰🇷🛬✨안녕하세요 서울 Lucky me, I am incredibly excited to have arrived in South Korea today and staying smack dab in the middle of the stylish Gangnam District at the COEX Conference Centre. It is my first time in this beautiful city and I ca
Hello Seoul! 🇰🇷🛬✨안녕하세요 서울 Lucky me, I am incredibly excited to have arrived in South Korea today and staying smack dab in the middle of the stylish Gangnam District at the COEX Conference Centre. It is my first time in this beautiful city and I cannot wait to begin exploring, especially the contemporary art and design scene. I am here to attend and give a paper at the #IPSA2025 International Political Science Association World Congress, the largest global gathering of researchers and academics working on all things political and international relations oriented. IPSA as an academic association was founded under the auspices of UNESCO in 1949 and is devoted to the advancement of political science in all parts of the world and promotes collaboration between scholars in both established and emerging democracies. The 2025 Conference theme is “Resisting Autocratization in Polarized Societies” and I was invited to present a paper on my ongoing work on Trumpism, the neo avante-garde, and visual culture on a panel examining the role of cultural actors during periods of democratic backsliding. I only had a few hours after I arrived to my hotel to check out COEX, but I had to see the world famous library housed inside the shopping complex. It was a very cool sight for a book nerd like me 🤓 . . . #seoul #korea #southkorea #politicalscience #arthistory #academiclife #conference @kpuarts @kwantlenu

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© Dorothy Barenscott, Avant-Guardian Musings, and dorothybarenscott.com, 2010-2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Dorothy Barenscott, Avant-Guardian Musings, and dorothybarenscott.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Following up on PART 1 of my selections, I continue with 10 more picks from this year's Vancouver International Film Festival.

Following up on PART 1 of my selections, I continue with 10 more picks from this year's Vancouver International Film Festival.

Vancouver International Film Festival 2015 Selections: PART 2

September 28, 2015

As promised, I have added another ten selections to PART ONE of my VIFF Selections blog post from last week. These are once again presented in no particular order, but this time I am bringing attention to selections that struck my curiosity and stood out for me when leafing through this year's guide. I know some of these will likely appear in later iterations on a screen near you, but several of them will be the kind of one-shot viewing experience that makes VIFF such a special festival. Happy viewing! 

 

NO MEN BEYOND THIS POINT directed by Mark Sawers (CANADA)

What happens in a world where men are no longer needed? That is the premise of this Canadian mockumentary (one of my favourite genres) that follows the youngest man still alive in a sea of women reproducing asexually. The film is set in West Vancouver, so how could you not be curious about how this will all look on the screen?

EXPERIMENTER directed by Michael Almereyda (USA)

As a Gen-Xer, I adore Winona Ryder (Reality Bites was one of my favourite films as an angst ridden undergrad), and I am curious how she is cast in this film set during the infamous “social-obedience experiments” at Yale during the 1960s. This is more of a mainstream commercial film pick for VIFF, but the subject matter is both intriguing and timely.

LOVE AMONG THE RUINS directed by Massimo Ali Mohammad (USA/ITALY)

When The Artist came to VIFF a few years ago and then shocked many by winning best film at the Academy Award the following year, I felt vindicated for advocating the significance and relevance of the silent cinema—movies after all are first and foremost a visually driven medium. This film also promises to be a tribute to silent movie making through the creation of a combination mockumentary and mock silent movie that tells the story of the film’s discovery.

PARADISE directed by Sina Ataeian Dena (IRAN/GERMANY)

Films from Iran are always a favourite at VIFF, and this year proves no exception with this selection shot clandestinely in Tehran. Following a mostly female cast through what is described as current-day existence in Iran, the movie promises to “reveal the role of women in contemporary Iranian society.”

SOUND + IMAGE SHORTS directed by various (CANADA)

This anthology of nine films showcases Canadian filmmaking talent at its most immediate and focused through the use of the short film format. Some of the most memorable films I have seen at VIFF over the years have been those under 10 minutes. Remember always, it is about quality not quantity in filmmaking as many other media forms.

PORT OF CALL directed by Philip Yung (HONG KONG)

The “Dragons and Tigers” section at VIFF showcasing films from East Asia grows exponentially every year, and I always eager to discover something new that I know I will not likely see again. This year, I was struck by the synopsis of a Hong Kong film that delves into the world of modern policing in Chinese society. With all of the social upheaval in Hong Kong in the last year, I am curious to see how this film tackles the subject.

A FLICKERING TRUTH directed by Pietra Brettkelly (AFGHANISTAN/NEW ZEALAND)

Some years ago, film director Pietra Brettkelly blew the lid off of the contemporary art world with a documentary examining and exposing the world of high stakes art making and selling at the Venice Biennale (if you haven’t seen The Art Star and the Sudanese Twins about Italian artist Vanessa Beecroft—most recently, art director to Kanye West—make sure to check it out). In this new documentary, Brettkelly travels to Afghanistan where she follows a group of Afghan cinephiles trying to preserve and protect their culture’s films from destruction by the Taliban regime.  

HOCKNEY directed by Randall Wright (UK/USA)

Although I am not a huge fan of artist psychobiography or this artist in particular, the film Hockney came recommended from a trusted colleague and promises not to be just a celebratory portrayal, but instead a documentary that delves more critically into the life and context of famed British artist David Hockney. We shall see….

DEATHGASM directed by Jason Lei Howden (NEW ZEALAND)

Many of my students accuse me of not having an open enough mind when it comes to the horror and gore-porn genres, so this selection is dedicated to them! The name of the film is intriguing enough to check out, and I will make sure to go see this movie on an empty stomach.

ORIGINAL COPY directed by Florian Heinzen-Ziob (GERMANY)

Following the lives of Bollywood film poster designers and painters, this film caught my eye right away for both the art form of the public movie poster (which as the film synopsis notes is today in the final stages of dying out) and the cultural context of the Indian film industry, within which this story plays out.


← CALL FOR PAPERS: Canadian Culinary Imaginations, A Symposium of Literary and Visual Fare Vancouver International Film Festival 2015 Selections: PART 1 →
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© Dorothy Barenscott, 2010-2025