What happens when objects replace actors in films ? Do objects have a soul or a heart? How do they move? What if objects spoke or sang? Among the 450 or so denim-wrapped objects in the Jeansdinge collection (literally 'things made of denim') are a wide variety of products, most of them mass-produced: office chairs, condoms, plates, bikinis, perfumes, headphones and so on. They are the protagonists of some fifty short art films. At times rebellious, often revolting, it is through the language of film that the objects come to life, become animated, tell their own story and emancipate themselves from their use by man. It is thus a collection that comes to life through gestures, movements and staging.

Because of its American origins, denim is associated with an ideal of freedom and singularity, and mass consumption. Loaded as it is with historical and aesthetic issues, denim speaks to political struggles against systems of domination; the collection hints at these struggles in its hybrid, kitsch or even queer character.

On the occasion of the launch of jeansdinge.ch created by Nico Baldran, Sonia Dominguez and Rob van Leijsen. The website brings together an inventory of the objects. The Centre is presenting some fifty (very) short films, made with the chosen objects. The films will allow the viewers to immerse themselves in the collection. The films and the website were produced as part of the research project conducted by the HEAD – Genève (HESSO) under the direction of Katharina Hohmann and Katharina Tietze (who initiated this project nearly 20 years ago) as well as Aude Fellay, LoreleÏ Regamey, Chaïm Vischel and Lucien Monot –  lead tutor on the films of students from Visual Arts at HEAD – Genève and Eva Wandeler for the films of the BA Design (Trends & Identity) at ZHdK. This evening is a continuation of the lectures and performances of the large symposium held in March 2022.

Program:
18.00 Welcome drinks
18.30 Screening
19.30  Screening
20.30 Closing drinks

Contributions :
Veronica Amorim | Kevin van Aartsen | Natalia Comandari | Alan Croissant  | Nura Sina Deon | Julian Daubas & Antoine Weil | Salomé Djeranian | Daniela Eberle | Dorotea Eichelberg | Samuelle Etienne | Camille Farrah Buhler | Laure Federiconi | Aude Fellay | Oskar Fougeirol & Niels Hung | Prune Gaillard | Alexandra Galian  | Magdalena Gerber | Charline Giebel | Christian Gonzenbach | Julia Haas | Celeste Hay | Katharina Hohmann | Manuel Hunziker | Felice Hubert | Meret Kernen | Alessandro Kloukas | Jan Philipp Künne | Vincent Kohler | Philomène Lacroix | Quentin Langlet | Thomas Leborgne | Rob van Leijsen | Iliriana Maksutaj | Lucien Monot | Julie Monot | Céline Müller | Raoul Batantu Mukanza | Federico Nipoli | Fiona Inostroza Nuñez | Ernestyna Orlowska | Lea Paravac | Claude Payen De Lapierre | Leanne Picthall | Loreleï Regamey | Samira Naemi Ruschetta | Umika Srivastava | Milena Stuck | Melvin Tobler | Samira Esmeralda Trachsel | Chaïm Vischel | Ella Ziegler & Abrie Fourie