Francis Alÿs

Francis Alÿs develops his art from his strolls through urban areas. In this video made in Kabul, Afghanistan, two children are playing with a film reel, the first unwinding it while the other reels it in. The film becomes impregnated with the dust, water and fire of the city streets and sketches out the invisible trace of the game as it reveals a different face of the conflict-stricken capital. Conceived in 2011 for Documenta in Kassel (DE), the video REEL – UNREEL was first presented in Switzerland at the Musée Jenisch Vevey, as part of an installation the artist created for Festival Images.