Test Film (2026)

Overview

In Test Film (2017-2026), visual artist Katja Mater once again explores the boundaries of the film medium. The work consists of hand-drawn ‘interpretations’ of graphic 16mm test images, known as SMPTE tests, originally intended for calibrating film images with the aim of achieving an ‘optimal’ or ‘correct’ reproduction in print or projection. Mater’s drawn and subsequently filmed versions bring this objective of film as a representation of reality into sharp focus. Test Film emphasises the concept of film as an ephemeral construct of image and time.

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