LX 2.0's new project by MTAA: Our Political Work

For immediate release:


Lisboa 20 Arte Contemporânea is launching on September 18th LX 2.0 Project's new comission, the piece Our Political Work by Brooklyn-based artists MTAA (http://www.lisboa20.pt/lx20).


In our age there is no such thing as 'keeping out of politics.' All issues are political issues, and politics itself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred and schizophrenia.
– George Orwell

Continuing a series of computer-driven self-portraits, MTAA's "Our Political Work" presents the artists in a never-ending state of screaming, yelling, waiting and sometimes laughing. Using 141 filmed moments, custom software randomly selects and joins video clips into a seemingly endless array of undignified action. Begun in 2007 and completed in 2008, "Our Political Work" creates an open-ended depiction of political discourse as Beckett-like action.


MTAA (M.River & T.Whid Art Associates) are Michael Sarff (M. River), born 1967, Iowa City, Iowa and Tim Whidden (T.Whid), born 1969, Elyria, Ohio. Both members of MTAA live and work in Brooklyn, New York

Michael Sarff and Tim Whidden formed the artist collaboration MTAA in 1996. They are currently preparing a new work commissioned by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art for the upcoming "The Art of Participation: 1950 to Now" exhibition opening in November 2008. MTAA has presented art work and performances at The New Museum of Contemporary Art, P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, The Whitney Museum of American Art, Postmasters Gallery and Artists Space, all in New York city; The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis; The Beall Center for Art and Technology in Irvine, CA and at The Getty Center in Los Angeles.

International exhibitions include the Seoul Net & Film Festival in Korea and Videozone2 - The 2nd International Video Art Biennial in Israel. The collaboration has earned grants and awards from the Creative Capital Foundation, Rhizome.org, Eyebeam and New Radio & Performing Arts, Inc.




Luis Silva
LX 2.0 Project (http://www.lisboa20.pt/lx20)
Lisboa 20 Arte Contemporânea