Catalogue > At random

Cities (Territories & Occupation) is about "the city" divided into districts, neighborhoods, zones and domains, marked by inner-city borderlines. The film investigates how cities emerge and change through inclusion and exclusion, migration, decay, destruction, demolition, relocation, displacement. Urban territories, districts are characterized by different social processes, business relationships, power relations, private affairs. We wonder how urban territories are formed and why they change? Who controls the city or how do the inhabitants create free spaces? Who owns the city?

Gusztáv Hámos, born in Budapest, lives in Berlin, is a media artist, curator and author. His oeuvre includes video, film, photography and installation and has been exhibited at Documenta, Biennale Venice, ZKM Karlsruhe, Ludwig Muzeum Budapest. His videos and films have been shown at Tate Modern London, SFMOMA, Videobrasil Sao Paulo, Palais de Tokyo Paris, Ernst Muzeum Budapest and Art Basel Miami. His work is in the Collections of The Museum of Modern Art NY, Centre Georges Pompidou Paris, Múzeum Ludwig Budapest, NBK Berlin and ZKM Karlsruhe. Katja Pratschke, is a media artist, curator and since 2006 has organised photofilm seasons with Gusztáv Hámos with whom she has collaborated since 1998. Her films and installations have been shown at Ludwig Muzeum Budapest, Akademie der Künste Berlin, IndieLisboa and the 63th Mostra Internazionale d’Arte Cinematografica di Venezia. She has received various awards and grants: german short film award, travel grant of the Hessische Kulturstiftung, Artist-in-Residence Istanbul, Dhaka, Venice and Kolkata.