In accordance with the principle of the Anarchive collection, of which this is the fourth title, “Jean Otth …On the Council of Nicea” is all at once an original creation, as well as a database of his work.
This DVD-ROM is the annotated catalogue of his video works. Although Jean Otth is one of the pioneers of video art in Switzerland, he has also worked with other media as well, such as painting, photography, and the computer. These other works are presented here.

After studying art history and philosophy at the University of Lausanne, Jean Otth attended the art school of Lausanne. From then on, his artistic trajectory, still influenced by the practice of painting, became closely tied to the emergence of new technologies. He is one of the pioneers of video art in Switzerland in the early 1970’s, and his works were soon seen in numerous exhibitions both in Switzerland and abroad (for instance Dokumenta 6 in Kassel). In the 1980’s he began to employ the computer in his works, not only for its instrumental possibilities, but for its aesthetic dimensions as well.
Jean Otth taught at the Cantonal Art School of Lausanne from 1979 to 2002.
Today he pursues a work that mixes the real and the virtual and explores their interaction. This is accomplished through the creation of installations, often including the projection of images on objects. While constantly questioning the media that he uses, and at times even takes as a subject matter, Jean Otth produces borderlines works that test the observer and provoke desire through covering-up, reframing, and shifting. The spectator is thus invited to participate in sensitive, singular experiments in which the figure is threatened with disappearance – where that which can be represented is but a question.

http://www.jeanotth.net

“Jean Otth …On the Council of Nicea” is composed of two dvds.
A DVD video, playable on any dvd player, contains 20 of the artist’s videos (in their totality and  excerpts).
A DVD-ROM (for Mac or PC) that enables access, in an interactive way, not only to the videos (60 pieces), but also to filmed documentation of the video installations (28 pieces), as well as a significant body of visual documentation of works realized in other media (930 reproductions).
Thirteen short video pieces, created especially for this project, illustrate the different problematics that run through the work of Jean Otth, such as mimesis, electronic disturbance, obliteration, projection, tautology. Finally, a selection of the artist’s writings, as well as numerous critical texts about his work, are accessible in this database, and are in printable form (57 texts).

Author and artistic director:  Jean Otth
Editorial and scientific direction:  Anne-Marie Duguet, Paris
Programming and interactive concept:  Marc  Göring “Electron Libre”, Lausanne and Adrien Cater
Graphic concept:  Werner Jeker, “Les Ateliers du Nord”, Lausanne
Authors of the texts:  René Berger, Edmond Charrière, Anne-Marie Duguet, Lysianne Léchot-Hirt, Geneviève Loup, Michel Thévoz, Jörg Zutter, Jean Otth
Translation:  Douglas Parsons
Sound: Christian Pahud

This DVD-ROM was produced thanks to private patronage and the support of Pro Helvetia swiss arts council,  the Cultural Fund of the City of Lausanne, the Canton of Vaud, and the Vaud Academic Society.
The Center for Contemporary Images- St. Gervais in Geneva, and AktiveArchive in Bern both participated in the production of this work.

publisher : Anarchive, 2007

price : 39 €       ISBN 978-2-9518132-1-2

Distribution :
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