Doug Aitken, Station to Station, in UK Cinemas

Internationally acclaimed artist Doug Aitken’s latest filmic piece has been unveiled to UK viewers in its première screening at the Barbican, London. Described as a living project exploring modern creativity, Station to Station takes viewers on a hypnotic journey from New York to San Francisco in 10 stops, over 24 days. Travelling 4000 miles from the Atlantic to the Pacific coastline of the U.S. on a high-speed train in 2013, Aitken picked up artists, dancers and musicians to create a series of 10 unique “happenings”, all of which were diligently captured on film.

Comprised of 62 one-minute featurettes from fleeting conversations to music performances, Aitken’s new work offers a plethora of creativity from artists as diverse as Patti Smith, Olafur Eliasson, Cat Power, William Eggleston and Ernesto Neto. A series of intimate encounters, Station to Station spans a spectrum of exclusive events: Ed Ruscha describing the discoveries to be made in the great American landscape; Beck performing with a gospel choir in the Mojave desert; Jackson Browne reflecting on the influence of the railroad on his music. Each clip, diverse and compelling in its own way, highlights the culturally diverse landscape that we all travel through.

To coincide with the release of Station to Station, the Barbican has programmed a summer season of the same name, Station to Station: A 30-Day Happening, which will feature multiple acts over 30 days.  Beginning on 27 June, it will present some of the artists and performers from Aitken’s film.

Doug Aitken, Station to Station, released in UK cinemas 26 June, courtesy of Dogwoof.

More information can be found at www.stationtostation.com.

Station to Station: A 30 Day Happening, 27 June – 26 July, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS.

Visit www.barbican.org.uk/stationtostation.

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Credits
1. Trailer for Doug Aitken’s Station to Station. Courtesy of YouTube.