THE Aesthetica Art Prize exhibition at York Art Gallery is to be complemented by artists' film screenings at the1331 lounge bar's independent cinema, Brandy Brown's, in Grape Lane, York, from tomorrow.

"This immersive showcase of innovative and thought-provoking films, installations and performances runs from June to September, with each free screening from 7pm to 8pm drawing on social and political structures to question the value that we place on the world around us and on ourselves," says Aesthetica director Cherie Federico.

"The first screening, Future Now: The 2018 Shortlist, includes this year’s Emerging Prize winner Electra Lyhne-Gold’s Lost In Translation, in which the artist stages herself in surreal, fictional narratives, inhabiting invented personas or characters.

"Similarly, Kenji Ouellet’s I Am One comprises a collection of quotes about uniqueness and individuality, offering an encounter between collective and individual perspectives on singularity, while Noemi Varga's The Happiest Barrack considers familial histories."

The screenings continue with People, Places and Procrastinations on July 11; Making A Home, July 25; Installation & Performance: Global Connections, August 22, and Installation & Performance: The Human Condition, September 19.

York Press:

Noemi Varga's The Happiest Barrack

"Moving from domestic to urban landscapes in Portraits: People, Places and Procrastinations, inspirational reels by the likes of Bella Riza, Hilary Powell and Sonja Berta look at contemporary themes such as identity, mass consumption, international conflicts and question the roles of spectatorship and privacy, in today’s globalised, digitilised and over-saturated world, showcasing artists’ films from this year’s longlist," says Cherie.

The domestic landscape holds complex emotions at its core in the Making A Home selection. "Memory, family, identity and culture are just some of the concepts tied into its structures," says Cherie. "Again curated from the longlist of artists’ films, this screening offers an introspective and intimate view into personal realms, connecting viewers through impacting and deeply honest narratives in the work of Salma Ashraf, Timo Wright and Victor Witkowski.

"As the environment increasingly is becoming the focus for many artists, the first of two Installation & Performance screenings looks at global connections, with climate change and the refugee crises holding precedence internationally and the borders that define cultural identity becoming strengthened by nationalism."

September's last screening, The Human Condition, looks at the relationship between dreams and realities to our connection with sexuality and the passing of time, offering a lens through which to view the past and the future of ourselves and each other."

Cherie concludes: "The screenings are a chance to see innovative and thought-provoking works from both 2018 Aesthetica Art Prize shortlisted and longlisted artists on the big screen. Traditionally shown in a gallery context, artists’ films are often regarded with the usual gravitas of the fetishised art object, with many cinema-goers thinking that it isn’t for them. These screenings, however, present an opportunity for audiences to discover something away from the mainstream."

Meanwhile, the Aesthetica exhibition exploring the "wider effects of over-consumption, media stimulation and emotional disconnection in this era of post-truth", runs until September 30.