Artist’s Choice Summer Film Series: ‘Flat is Beautiful,’ selected by Ellen Gallagher

Hauser & Wirth’s 2018 Summer Film Series kicks off with Sadie Benning’s experimental ‘Flat is Beautiful’ (1998), selected by Ellen Gallagher. The film centers on a gender nonconforming tween grappling with their identity in a working-class Milwaukee neighborhood. Shot in Super-8 and Pixelvision, ‘Flat is Beautiful’ incorporates masks, animation, subtitles, and drawings to confront the loneliness of living between masculine and feminine in a culture obsessed with defining gender difference. Screening begins at sundown, and the rooftop opens at 6pm. Artist’s Choice Summer Film Series is a program of free evening film screenings that will take place on the rooftop of the gallery’s West 22nd Street location in June and July. With films selected by gallery artists Rita Ackermann, Phyllida Barlow, Ellen Gallagher, Amy Sherald, and Anj Smith, Summer Film Series will present a vibrant collection of cinematic works that illustrate the many ways in which the moving image provides a rich source of inspiration for­­ visual artists. Offering dramatic views of New York’s West Chelsea Arts District and the Hudson River, Hauser & Wirth’s rooftop features works by artists from the gallery’s roster, including a special installation of Martin Creed's ‘Work No. 2198,’ selected by the artist for the space. An assortment of drinks and light snacks will be available on the roof from the Roth Bar during each of the screenings. While screenings are free, advanced booking is essential due to limited seating. The event will take place from 6 – 10 pm Image: Flat is Beautiful, 1999, by Sadie Benning Image credit: © Sadie Benning, courtesy of Video Data Bank, School of the Art Institute of Chicago