Behind the Scenes of HR Giger’s Studio

Sat, May 23 / 5 pm

Step behind the scenes of HR Giger’s studio practice in this collection of short films.  From working on the set of Alien to making some of his earliest sculpture, these shorts reveal the experiences and methods Giger utilized to make many of his iconic creations.

Program Includes:

HeimKiller and High
1967, Dir. FM Murer
10 min, Digital Projection 

Two shorts on Giger’s early work: the first features a jarring confrontation between a young Giger and his bleeding sculpture; the second is a moody slideshow of the elegantly morbid pen and ink work of Giger’s early career. 

Passagen
1970, Dir. FM Murer
44 min, Digital Projection 

In 1971, during a visit to Cologne, H.R. Giger caught sight of the German garbage collectors at work. He was fascinated with what he perceived as the mechanical erotic-routine of stuffed trash cans emptying their load into their corresponding awaiting receptacle. The few photos he snapped of this methodical "final solution" served as a basis for his highly personalized Passage paintings series.

 

Giger’s Necronomicon
1975, Dir. JJ Wittmer
41 min, Digital Projection

An intimate glimpse into the life of HR Giger, featuring interviews with collectors, gallerists, family, and friends. Giger’s practice and private life are filmed as if seen through his own eyes, and narrated in his own words. The entire film is drenched in atmospheric synths, care of Brainticket’s Joel Vandroogenbroeck.

2nd Celebration of the Four
1977, Dir. JJ Wittmer
5 min, Digital Projection 

Serving as a spell, this film documents Giger’s brush with the occult. A ritual pays homage to the four elements.

Giger’s Alien
1979, Dir. Mia Bonzanigo & JJ Wittmer
33 min, Digital Projection 

A companion to Giger’s Necronomicon, Giger’s Alien documents Giger at the height of his career as he works on the set of Alien. Narrated by Giger himself, the film shows the artist’s perspective on working within the physical and aesthetic constraints of a major film production.

Please review our health and safety protocols before you arrive. MAD strongly recommends all visitors six months and older are vaccinated against Covid-19 and visitors ages two and up wear face coverings, even if vaccinated. Thank you for your cooperation.

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