Work It: Video Art on Club Culture

Nightlife has long been thought of as a zone of ecstasy and transcendence—a realm where the individual disappears into the collective and the protocols of the nine-to-five world are suspended. Filmmakers and artists often celebrate the edgy expressions and lifestyles born on the dance floor, but the nightclub has also emerged as a symbol of the rampant commercialization of experiences that, with the right vibes and substances, may seem impossible to represent, let alone sell. This program brings the party—and the hangover—to the big screen with a selection of videos that thoughtfully consider the club as a site of pleasure, communion, and criticism. Typically presented in a gallery setting, these artworks conjure dance-floor euphoria while examining how such scenes feed into identities and ideologies.