Heaven’s Gate, a new monumental video work by artist Marco Brambilla, opened on June 17 at the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM). The eight minute and 45 second piece takes viewers through a time capsule of the Hollywood cinematic landscape, featuring collaged film samples starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Christopher Walken, Beyoncé, Audrey Hepburn, Matthew McConaughey, and more.
Video still, Marco Brambilla, “Heaven’s Gate,” 2021, courtesy of the Pérez Art Museum Miami.
“The idea of Heaven’s Gate entering the world at this particular juncture in time seems somehow completely right. Our world, more than ever, is an undifferentiated chaos of dreams, nightmares and illusions, of shiny surfaces, optimism, pestilence and war. Life imitating art…as ever,” said Brambilla.
Video still, Marco Brambilla, “Heaven’s Gate,” 2021, courtesy of the Pérez Art Museum Miami.
Through an infinite loop of prominent scenes, the video retells the history of our world, from the Big Bang to the examination of human consumption and overabundance today. The piece celebrates collective storytelling while satirizing the saturated glamour of the filmmaking by decontextualizing each character and set pieces.
Video still, Marco Brambilla, “Heaven’s Gate,” 2021, courtesy of the Pérez Art Museum Miami.
The title “refers to the 1980 Michael Cimino film whose extreme production costs bankrupted United Artists and brought to an end the era of director as auteur. This paved the way for studio domination, which has continued since.
Franklin Sirmans and Marco Brambilla, courtesy of the Pérez Art Museum Miami.
“He has consistently probed the world of cinema through video art with versatility, careful to mark the distinctions of both. While his work has always pushed the boundaries of new technology to visually engage with the screen, his recent work in virtual reality will literally create ‘new ways of seeing,’” said PAMM Director Franklin Sirmans.
Video still, Marco Brambilla, “Heaven’s Gate,” 2021, courtesy of the Pérez Art Museum Miami.
