Still from Chris Chong Chan Fui’s BLOCK B, 2008. Image courtesy of the artist.
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Independence Ave. at 7th St., SW
Washington, DC
The Black Box theater showcases rotating exhibitions of contemporary artists who use film or video as their creative medium. Films or videos run continuously.
Chris Chong Chan Fui (b. 1982, Borneo, Malaysia) lives and works in Kuala Lumpur and is the first Malaysian artist to present work at the Hirshhorn.
Block B (2008, 20 min): In this short film with no special effects or lighting, a motionless camera captures dramas that unfold night and day on the various floors of a huge apartment complex that houses Indian expatriates working on temporary contracts. The artist contrasts the static cinematography with vivid unpredictable narrative. Block B suggests issues related to surveillance and voyeurism, but also evokes the dramatic elements that are part of the fabric of daily life.
