One would think that reality would remain constant, but as we learn and develop, reality and our experiences of it changes with us. Now on view at Site Santa Fe, More Real? Art in the Age of Truthiness, bring together more than 25 international artists who question the stability of reality. For our look back  into the DS Archives, we bring you the 2008 exhibition at the Hirshorn Museum, The Cinema Effect: Illusion, Reality, and the Moving Image. 

The following article was originally published on August 19, 2008 by Catherine Wagley:

Washington DC’s Hirshhorn Museum has embraced the history and technology of cinema, launching a large scale video exhibition that explores the perpetually shady filmic relationship between fiction and reality. Called The Cinema Effect: Illusion, Reality, and the Moving Image, the exhibition is divided into two parts. The first, Dreams, ran through May 11th and focused on the imaginative capabilities of film. The second part, Realisms, is on view now. Realisms itself is divided into to sections, one of which emphasizes fictive realism – including pop culture references and Hollywood-inspired ventures – while the other emphasizes documentary-style film work.

Curated by Anne Ellegood and Kristen Hileman, Realism includes work by nineteen diverse artists: Candice Breitz, Matthew Buckingham, Paul Chan, Ian Charlesworth, Phil Collins, Jeremy Deller, Kota Ezawa, Omer Fast, Pierre Huyghe, Runa Islam, Christian Jankowski, Isaac Julien, Michele Magema, Julian Rosefeldt, Corinna Schnitt, Mungo Thomson, Kerry Tribe, Francesco Vezzoli and Artur Zmijewski.

As the above video discusses, Realism highlights the cultural, historical savvy of today’s most innovative film artists, while also probing the unique technological capacity film has to question what’s “real.” The exhibition continues through September.