Frenkel Defects: a programme of 16mm hand-made films

no.w.here presents Frenkel Defects. Wednesday 19th November 2014, no.w.here, third floor, 316 – 318 Bethnal Green Road, London E2 0AG. 7pm start.

Frenkel Defects* is a programme of hand made 16mm films from artists working in DIY labs worldwide. These works have been curated by Kevin Rice from Process Reversal a lab collective based in Colorado USA. Photosensitive film material is formed of a multitude of silver halide crystals, suspended in gelatine, without which we would not be able to record a latent negative image. A Frenkel Defect is a fault within the silver crystal structure of the film emulsion. Image by Andrew Busti

The most interesting aspect of a Frenkel Defect (at least in the vein of this program) is not specifically its photo-mechanical properties, but the implication that film must be imperfect to function. In this sense, the silver halide might also be seen as a reflection of our films and ourselves, both which, arguably, necessitate a mode of imperfection. Further, we might also consider that projection is a form of photography, one whereby we, the audience, are the photosensitive material – full of defects – that is allowed to be imprinted with a latent image. The full programme can be viewed here. *Text taken from no.w.here