Film-maker, graphic designer, animator, cartoonist, photographer, internet and new media pioneer, installationist, novelist, critic, publisher – the French artist Chris Marker, who died in 2012 on the day of his 91st birthday was as versatile as he was prolific. He is best known for his film masterpieces Sans Soleil and La Jetée (the inspiration for Terry Gilliam’s Twelve Monkeys) but his influence has been felt, perhaps even more keenly since his death, in almost every field of artistic endeavour. In an evening of readings, screenings and discussion, Chris Darke, critic and co-curator of the first retrospective of Chris Marker’s work across all media, (showing at the Whitechapel Gallery until 22 June), will be in conversation with the acclaimed cultural commentator and essayist Brian Dillon about Marker’s writing in all forms, from little known novels and short stories through essays and critical pieces to his outstanding film scripts, often delivered as letters. Central to the discussion will be the Whitechapel Gallery exhibition catalogue, edited by Darke, which features two pieces by Marker translated into English for the first time. The evening will be hosted by Gareth Evans, Film Curator at the Whitechapel Gallery. With thanks to, and in association with, The Whitechapel Gallery.
