This program features the hallucinatory video work of Mexican artist Sergio Hernández Francés, whose experimentation across theater, cinema, music, and new media influenced a generation of artists in Mexico. Works like SUEÑO DE SERPIENTE and LOKOPHONIA, making ample use of chromakey, collage, and a psychedelic sensibility, helped establish Mexico City’s experimental video scene and are among the most striking early artistic responses to the AIDS crisis in Mexico. Despite his influence, Hernández Francés’s work has rarely been seen since his death from AIDS-related complications in 1995. The work in this program was rescued by video art pioneer Ximena Cuevas as part of her acclaimed compilation Los Archivos X and is being reintroduced today through the efforts of artist Jorge Bordello. This screening is presented in collaboration with Visual AIDS, in tandem with the Third Annual Visual AIDS Research Symposium at the Museum of Modern Art on October 24. The program includes "SERPENT’S DREAM / SUEÑO DE SERPIENTE" (1991, 8 min), "DEADLY SINS / PECADOS CAPITALES" (1993, 9 min), "AH CABALA VIDA" (1993, 6 min), and "LOKOPHONIA" (1991, 11 min), with a total running time of approximately 40 minutes.

Sergio Hernández Francés with Jorge Bordello (Introduced by)

A program showcasing the hallucinatory video work of Mexican artist Sergio Hernández Francés, whose experiments in theater, cinema, music, and new media influenced a generation of Mexican artists. Featuring early artistic responses to the AIDS crisis in Mexico, the works in this program have rarely been seen since Hernández Francés's death in 1995.