Villa Merkel is home to the municipal galleries of the city of Esslingen, near Stuttgart (Germany). In this neo-renaissance building dating back to 1873, exhibitions of photography, painting and installation works are held. Argos is the first institution to receive carte-blanche to conceive an exhibition focusing on video art. As a result, Argos will project works by Manon de Boer, Peter Downsbrough, Michel François, Johan Grimonprez and Vincent Meessen; in addition, Peter Downsbrough will create the Room-piece SEIT/ ... (2009, tape and adhesive letters) for the light-flooded Atrium in the entrance area of Villa Merkel; a laboratory-like situation similar to that found in Argos’ media library. In this way, visitors are able to consult a selection of works from Argos’ distribution catalogue, shown on two screens. On conclusion of the exhibition a catalogue will be published.

The following works will be on show :

Manon de Boer, Sylvia Kristel-Paris, 2003, 39’ 22", video, colour, French with English subtitles.
Michel François, Autoportrait contre nature, 2001,11’ 52", video, colour, sound.
Joëlle Tuerlinckx, La fille qui descend l’escalier, 2006, 28’ 38", video, colour, sound.
Johan Grimonprez, Looking for Alfred, 2004-2005, 10’ 01", video, colour, English spoken.
Johan Grimonprez, Ron Burrage Hitchcock Double, 2007, 1’, video, colour, sound.
Vincent Meessen, Made in Belgium, 2006, 2’55’’, colour, silent.
Peter Downsbrough, ]AND HERE, 2007, 23’ 54" b&w and colour, sound.
Thierry de Mey/ Anne-Teresa de Keersmaeker, Tippeke, 1997, 16 mm film, 19’ 40", colour, sound.
Ria Pacquée, Cantaert Hunter 890602, 2003, 3’01”, video, colour, sound.
Vincent Meessen, The Intruder, 2005, 7’ 26", video, colour, English subtitles.

Lili Dujourie, Sonnet, 1974, 7’ 18“, video, b&w, silent.

Lili Dujourie, Passion de l’été pour l’hiver, 1981, 15’ 31", video, b&w, silent.

Jacques Lizène, Tentative à contraindre le corps à s’inscrire dans le cadre de l’image, 1971, 4’ 45’’, video, colour, silent.

Jacques Lizène, Tentative de dressage d’une caméra – Tentative d’échapper à la surveillance d’une caméra, 1971, 1’ 54’’, video, b&w, French spoken.

Jacques Lizène, Avec la camera placée à differentes distances, tentative ratée d’inscrire le corps dans le cadre de l’écran, tête et pieds parfaitement au bord, 1971, 35’’, video, b&w, sound. Jacques Lizène, Travelling sur un mur, 1971, 4’, video, colour, silent.

Jacques Lennep, Madame Paul Six, une fermière qui a des lettres, 1978, 14’ 58’’, video, b&w, French spoken.

Jacques Lennep, Video-fil, 1976, 10’ 21’’, b&w, sound, French spoken. 

Jacques-Louis Nyst, L’objet, 10’ 43’’, 1974, video, b&w, French with English subtitles.

Jacques-Louis Nyst, Mort d’une poule, 1977, 1’ 24’’, video, colour and b&w, sound.

Jacques-Louis Nyst, Revolver, 1977, 1’ 54”, video, colour, sound.

Video library:

Hans op de Beeck, The Stewarts have a party, 2006, 4’ 19”, video, colour, sound.

Herman Asselberghs, Altogether, 2008, 15’, video, colour, sound.

Nicolas Provost, Suspension, 2007, 4’ 59”, video, colour, silent.

Orla Barry, The Bastardstown Blogger, 2007, 17’, video, colour, English spoken.

Adam Leech, Silver Leaf , 2007, 6’, video, colour, English spoken.

Dora Garcia, The Breething Lesson, 2001, 6’, colour, French spoken.

Wendy Morris, Bully Beef, 2007, 6’ 02”, black-and-white animation, English running text.

Sophie Nys, Die Hütte, 2007, 12’, b&w, German spoken.

Messieurs Delmotte, Fränz und Kofön, 2004, 2’ 53”,  colour, sound.

Koen Theys, Meeting William Willson, 2001, 49’ 40”, English spoken.

Antonin de Bemels, Scrub Solo 3: Soliloquy, 2001, 17’ 15”, b&w, sound.

Vincent Meessen, A broken rule, 2007, 2’ 06”, colour, French with english subtitles.

Peter Downsbrough, Set(ing), 2003, 4’ 19", b&w,  sound.

Eric Pauwels, Lettre à Jean Rouch, 1993, 6’ 40”, b&w, French spoken.