Looking back over a history of one hundred years, experimental cinema has rigorously challenged cinematic conventions. To reach beyond telling stories, artists and filmmakers examined the material conditions of their medium, such as light, motion, celluloid and, with the advent of television and video, electronic signals. This relationship with the technical device—whether a camera or a computer—revolutionized the creative process and opened ever new possibilities for critically reflecting the world we live in.

Every man remembers the first words of Neil Armstrong after stepping on the lunar surface, on July 20, 1969. Few remember, instead, those of his partner Buzz Aldrin: "Magnificent view. Magnificent desolation.