George Kuchar: HotSpell at Conversations at the Edge, Chicago, February 23

Conversations at the Edge (CATE) is a weekly series of screenings, artist talks, and performances by compelling media artists, organized by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago's Department of Film, Video, New Media and Animation in collaboration with the Gene Siskel Film Center and Video Data Bank.
This semester, we are happy to co-present George Kuchar: HotSpell on Thursday, February 23. Legendary underground filmmaker George Kuchar, who passed away last September, turned to video in the mid-1980s, crafting hundreds of hilarious, and often diaristic videos from “the pageant that is life.” For the last quarter-century, the Video Data Bank has collected and distributed this work; we now house the artist’s complete video archive, totaling nearly 300 pieces. Charting the passing of seasons, students, loved ones and pets, the VDB developed a singular perspective on Kuchar’s artistic output. This evening, VDB Director Abina Manning presents a collection of his “greatest hits” through the decades, including his last video diary, HotSpell. 1989-2011, USA, various formats, ca. 85 min + discussion
“Desire and death are in the air, along with some aromatic wisps of ethnic edibles, so be sure to sniff it all.” -- George Kuchar