Video History Project

Chronology

Alternating Currents

Date
1985

Alternating Currents exhibition (June 15-July 6, 1985) at the Alternative Museum in New York. Is an exhibition of artworks using television as a documentary tool and expressive medium. Video is known to most people only through their living rooms as TV, a medium which presents situation comedies, soap operas, the news, rock videos and Hollywood movies.

But network television presents only certain types of information in a very structured fashion. This exhibit will show other ways that video may be used to present programs which not only entertain and inform, but also act as artistic visions which explore the potential uses of television. Co-Curators: Terry Berkowitz David Donihue.

Artists: Eugenia Balcells Caterina Borelli Barbara Broughel Nancy Burson Richard Carling Bill Creston Bonnie Donohue Dieter Froese Alexander Hahn Sara Hornbacher Bob Harris Joanne Kelly David Kramlich Tom Leeser Larry Miller Peter Mitchell Rita Myers Betsy Newman Paul Nichols Barbara Rosenthal Arlene Schloss Diane Spodarek Ellin Stein Twin Art Eva Type The Video Band Warner Wada Reynold Weidenaar Diana Wilson Jay Yager.

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"Alternating Currents." Video History Project, Experimental Television Center, 2011. https://www.videohistoryproject.org/node/6618.

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Summary

Alternating Currents was exhibited June 15–July 6, 1985 at the Alternative Museum in New York; the show presented artworks using television as a documentary tool and expressive medium and contrasted broadcast TV programming with alternative video practices. The exhibition argued for other uses of video beyond conventional network formats; it was co-curated by Terry Berkowitz and David Donihue. Artists in the exhibition included Eugenia Balcells, Caterina Borelli, Barbara Broughel, Nancy Burson, Richard Carling, Bill Creston, Bonnie Donohue, Dieter Froese, Alexander Hahn, Sara Hornbacher, Bob Harris, Joanne Kelly, David Kramlich, Tom Leeser, Larry Miller, Peter Mitchell, Rita Myers, Betsy Newman, Paul Nichols, Barbara Rosenthal, Arlene Schloss, Diane Spodarek, Ellin Stein, Twin Art, Eva Type, The Video Band, Warner Wada, Reynold Weidenaar, Diana Wilson and Jay Yager.

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Last modified 16 May 2011

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