Collaborative Assemblages is a four-part series of experimental film screenings that explores various facets of feminist, collaborative working methods in the 1970s and 1980s—working methods that were of vital importance to women* active in experimental film. The episodes focus on the experimental film scenes in Vienna, Hamburg and Berlin.
Collaborative Assemblages delves into the networks of practices that enabled women* to appear with greater self-confidence, greater expertise and, most importantly, in ever-increasing numbers within the experimental film scenes of the 1980s. It centres on various initiatives, collectives, and both official and unofficial groups. Exchanging knowledge about technology, filmmaking methods, and aesthetic forms, as well as sharing access to equipment, were key concerns within these assemblages. However, it was also about motivating one another and assisting with filming. The initiatives also provided a platform for (queer)feminist activism and self-determined cultural production.
These collaborative assemblages, often characterized by a spirit of friendship, did not adopt a uniform shape and were organized to varying degrees. They took various guises, such as self-made guidebooks on how to use a particular camera, the sharing of equipment, supportive discussions, and joint film projects or workshops. In their unformed state, they had the effect of deconstructing the experimental film scene and opening up new spaces for women* to become involved. The individual assemblages had varying lifespans, and only a few documented their own activities. For the most part, knowledge of them has been passed down only orally by contemporary witnesses, which highlights the fragility of this information. A selection of experimental films and videos created within such collectives will be presented across four screenings. The examples come from Vienna, Hamburg and Berlin. Each evening will be dedicated to one city and will feature discussions with filmmakers.
The series is a collaboration between Künstlerhaus Bethanien and attaque[e]r le visible, curated by Lawinia Rate.
Funded by
DATES
16.07.2026, 19 h
Collaborative Assemblages / Vienna
ILSE GASSINGER / URSULA PÜRRER / ASHLEY HANS SCHEIRL / ANNA STEININGER
Guest: Ursula Pürrer
The discussion will be held in German
Films with English subtitles
PROGRAM
Ilse Gassinger, Anna Steininger, Verzehren/Verzerrt (Consume/Distorted), 1984, U-matic (digitised), sound, 9 mins
Ilse Gassinger, Exposed, 1989, U-matic (digitised), sound, 8 mins
Ilse Gassinger, Eisenherz (Ironheart), 1989, U-matic (digitised), sound, 3 mins
Anna Steininger, Die Evidenz des Kalküls (The Evidence of the Calculation), 1987, U-matic (digitised), sound, 8 mins (in cooperation with Ilse Gassinger) Ursula Pürrer, Ashley Hans Scheirl, Zarte Knöpfe (Tender Buttons), 1985, Super 8 (digitised), sound, 4 mins
Ursula Pürrer, Ashley Hans Scheirl, Kampf und Kuss (Fight and Kiss), 1984, Super 8 (digitised), sound, 4 mins
Ursula Pürrer, Ashley Hans Scheirl, Im Garten der gelben G. (In the Garden of the Yellow G.), 1985, Super 8 (digitised), sound, 9 mins
Ursula Pürrer, Ashley Hans Scheirl, Super 8 Girl Games, 1985, Super 8 (digitised), sound, 3 mins
Ursula Pürrer, Drift of Juicy, 1989, U-matic (digitised), sound, 10 mins
27.08.2026 7 pm
Collaborative Assemblages / Hamburg
CLAUDIA RICHARZ / NINA RIPPEL / ULRIKE ZIMMERMANN
Films with English subtitles
The discussion will be held in German
24.09.2026 7 pm
Collaborative Assemblages / Berlin I
Films with English subtitles
The discussion will be held in German
22.10.2026 7 pm
Collaborative Assemblages / Berlin II
Films with English subtitles
The discussion will be held in German