Artists’ moving image

This is a varied and powerful collection, tracing the history and practice of film from avant garde early cinema to underground film, conceptual video and exciting hybrids of personal, political and subversive filmmaking.

The collection is mainly British but also holds some key international works. We’ve recently acquired pieces by Steve McQueen, Anja Kirschner and David Panos, Steven Sutcliffe and Nina Danino.

The work often challenges us to think about the ways sound and image are produced, combined and exhibited, and the collection features some groundbreaking presentations of style, aesthetics and technical innovation.

Screenings and distribution

Most of our artists’ work is single screen and available for cinematic screenings and research – and of course it’s the basis for some of our projects and programmes.

For example in 2009 we restored, screened and distributed work by the underground artist and filmmaker Jeff Keen with DVD and Blu-ray box sets and an international touring programme, GAZWRX. These releases brought Keen new recognition as an artist. We launched our season of restored films and other works by Bruce Lacey at BFI Southbank in July 2012, and released the DVD, The Lacey Rituals: films by Bruce Lacey (and friends).