The Films of Alia Syed: A Screening and Conversation

In conjunction with the exhibition Eating Grass, LACMA celebrates artist Alia Syed’s West Coast debut with a special screening of select works in their original 16mm format. Priya (2008-2011) is an extended aerial shot of a twirling Kathak dancer. The footage was then buried in various organic materials and left to deteriorate, merging the skin of the film with the body of the dancer. A Story Told (2006-2008), a woman’s tale of a doomed love affair originally made as an installation piece, combines 16mm film, DVD projection, and monitors in a multichannel piece that will be restaged in a cinema setting. In Fatima’s Letter (1994), a woman recounts in a letter to a friend memories of an event she previously witnessed in Pakistan that are evoked by the faces she sees while riding the London Underground. Also featured are two of Syed’s earlier black and white works: Watershed (1994), a film about the pain of speaking, and Swan (1989), an abstract piece that captures the silent power of this graceful animal preparing to take flight. Between screenings, the artist will discuss her work with Film Independent at LACMA curator Elvis Mitchell.

Bing Theater | Free, no reservations

Sponsored by the LACMA Southern Asian Art Council and the Consul General of Pakistan.

Image: Alia Syed (Wales, b. 1964), Still from Priya (2008-11) 16mm film, 12:56 min, Photo courtesy of the artist and Talwar Gallery, New York/New Delhi.

Please note: This is not a Film Department Program. For more information, please contact educate@lacma.org