Film Script (Manipulation of Meaning) 1972

Curator: Here we have David Lamelas's "Film Script (Manipulation of Meaning)" from the Tate collection, a piece whose dimensions shift to fit the space it occupies. Editor: It feels so sparse...almost clinical. The isolated images flickering on the wall like half-remembered dreams, a kind of minimalist cinema. Curator: Lamelas challenges the linearity of film by presenting stills. He invites us to be the editors, constructing narratives. It's not just about what is shown, but how we piece it all together. Editor: And that process is key, isn’t it? Film is a very material thing. This work pushes us to consider how it's assembled, distributed, even consumed. What is the labor involved in making meaning? Curator: Precisely! And that's the beautiful manipulation Lamelas speaks to. He liberates the image, sets it adrift, and watches what happens when we grab hold. Editor: It's a fascinating meditation on film production, authorship, and the tangible process of shaping stories. Lamelas has certainly given me something to think about.