Thomas Hörl & Peter Kozek, with Alexander Martinz

Demonic Screens I – Uninvited, 2017
film, 7 min 8 sec

Demonic Screens I–III – Exhibits, 2020
6 insect display cases with collages; darkening fabric
53 x 36 x 6,5 cm, 53 x 39,5 x 6 cm

courtesy of the artists

Demonic Screens is conceived as a three-part project, where each part features film images presented in the context of an installation. The artists have adjusted the content and aesthetics of their imagery on the horror film genre along with its many variants, subgenres, and hybrid phenomena, with each part of the project evoking horror films from a different era. These historical references play out before a background of contemporary issues in society, politics, and the respective local scene. Part I – Uninvited, takes its cue from the “classic” era of silent film and the early talkies, using the narrative strategies and tropes popular in the period. The six film stills shot on analogue 16mm film deal with local and regional themes while touching on cinematic and cultural history. Enacting figures from movies, mythology, and local tradition, the performers wander through the scenery, changing shape and character depending on the place and context. As settings, the artists sought out shoot locations typical for the period: a mist-shrouded lake, a barn, a dungeon, a medieval tower, and an environment pervaded by Christian symbols. Leftovers from all three parts of Demonic Screens are displayed in six insect showcases alongside the film.

concept: Thomas Hörl & Peter Kozek in collaboration with Alexander Martinz
performers: Thomas Hörl, Peter Kozek, Alexander Martinz
camera: Martin Musič
sound: Alexander Martinz
production design: Thomas Hörl & Peter Kozek
assistant: Luca Malle

Demonic Screens I – Uninvited, 2017, still frame, courtesy of the artists