Let's talk about expanded cinema: panel

Some 1960s artists explored moving image by mixing up and investigating the elements of cinema in the not-so-well known practice of expanded cinema. Approaches differed from embracing new technology, a mix-all-the arts attitude and paring back elements to no film at all. Both historical technological utopia and evolving contemporary dialogue, current practitioners embrace how it challenged black box screen culture, informed the white cube space of interactive art, and influenced contemporary networked culture. Yet, in our region, it remains submerged. Scholars argue that historically, expanded cinema was the banner under which forms like video art, interactive and computer art began (Walley 2020) and that expanded cinema starts the practice of institutional critique by artists (Uroskie 2014). There is a strong case for it as the site of avant-garde film right now (Walley 2020), including eco materialist practice (Knowles 2020). There has been practice in our region (Australia NZ) at other times. Did we know about it then and do we know practice in this area now? Does past practice have critical bearing and impact on contemporary practice in ways that are less obvious? Scholars and artists have made claims for why expanded cinema is important. Can we extend that thinking?