La Siesta, The Nap, Dutje

Project created for the exhibition «Beyond the Bridge: Joris Ivens; Source for Media Artists» at the Netherlands Film Museum in Amsterdam, where six multidisciplinary artists of different ages and origins were invited to create unique pieces referencing the personality and work of the Dutch filmmaker Joris Ivens (1898-1989).

«La Siesta» is an audio-visual self-portrait that combines excerpts from Joris Ivens’ filmography. The central theme is the siesta as a period of rest and relaxation, during which brief fragments of Ivens’ experimental and avant-garde filmography are inserted, resembling moments from a dream or fleeting memories. The result is a return to reality and interrupted activity, reflecting on aesthetics and the ethics of creation, subjectivity and objectivity, experimentation, and communication. For instance, when addressing the working world and its struggles or other political issues, there is a simultaneous formal concern for the image, the strength of composition, and rhythm.

This is one of Muntadas’ performances that is most difficult to classify. It serves as a moment of relaxation and introspective meditation. The title at the beginning of the video states, «An artwork is always autobiographical,» defining the spirit of the piece, though this perspective may not have been considered years earlier. This piece is not solely about Ivens nor is it strictly a homage; rather, it combines fragments from several of his films to reconsider certain issues and attitudes that, as desired by the project organizers, may resonate with a modern multimedia artist, reflecting the concerns, commitment, and various stages characterizing the profile of the great filmmaker.

This video installation, created by the artist in 1995, was presented at the 7th Havana Biennial in November 2000 and was part of a monographic exhibition titled «Entre/Between» at the Reina Sofía National Art Center from November 22nd, 2011, to March 26th, 2012.