The historic Variety Arts Theater in downtown Los Angeles is reopening after decades for a six-week exhibition titled "What a Wonderful World: An Audiovisual Poem." The show, running through March 20, presents a non-linear, late-night experience featuring over 120 years of moving images, from early cinema to contemporary video art, allowing visitors to wander freely from 5 p.m. to midnight.
The exhibition is significant because it marks the U.S. debut of a major portion of collector Julia Stoschek's renowned private collection of time-based art, which is often under-collected by institutions. Curated by Stoschek and Udo Kittelmann, the show challenges linear film history by juxtaposing classic works with contemporary pieces, creating new dialogues about cultural memory and representation, and demonstrates an ambitious model for presenting video art in a non-traditional venue.