Artworks celebrating the magic of early cinema showing at Hove Museum of Creativity

Four artists have been commissioned to echo the spirit of innovation found in early cinema and filmmaking which had its roots in Hove at the turn of the twentieth century. Their resulting pieces will be installed as temporary interventions in the Museum's permanent galleries.

Sapphire Goss has built a dream-like world by fusing archive imagery from the collection with newly shot footage taken around Brighton with obsolete film stock and clockwork cine cameras. Her moving image work will be viewed by looking down inside a rosewood and brass box and also projected up onto the ceiling.

In Annis Joslin’s video installation, eclectic objects are projected through and above a display case of optical toys. Originally used as props in early films, these items are repurposed by the artist and combined with imagery created by museum visitors in workshops earlier this year. The images are presented in both monochrome and intense, digitally-processed green and red, in an homage to early filmmaker George Albert Smith’s 1906 invention of ‘Kinemacolor.’

Working with the museum collections, Bella Okuya sought out representations of women, queer communities, and people of colour and found them hidden, or unavailable. By positioning representations in her single-channel video, the artist attempts to intersect past, present, and future; creating space, and time to imagine.

Connor Turansky uses antique and contemporary technology in his artwork. His mechanical pop-up books tell stories of the history of cinema in Hove and visitors can access augmented reality content by scanning special images, enhancing the paper creations with 3D scans.

Commissioned by Corridor and videoclub, the exhibition also includes work by The Wonder Club, a group of young people led by artist Chahine Fellahi in a programme of workshops at the Museum. The group has researched early filmmakers’ representations of personal experiences such as dreams, thoughts, and hallucinations, using their own performative interpretations to make short films, projections, and prints.

Jamie Wyld, Director of videoclub says: “It's wonderful to see such beautiful and thought-provoking work resulting from this commission. The artists have all relished exploring the collections and have been energised by the same spirit of creativity and innovation that fuelled our cinema pioneers.”

Ceryl Evans, Director of Engagement and Public Programmes at Brighton & Hove Museums says: “Film makers from our local area played a pivotal role in cinema history. We are looking forward to visitors seeing this important collection of early film in a new light.”

Days of Wonder runs until September 1 at Hove Museum of Creativity with free entry.