The increasingly addictive nature of news through presidential headlines is being highlighted in ‘DIS | INTEGRATION: Headlines are Frontlines,’ the visceral film experience that leads viewers through daily chronological New York Times headlines about Donald Trump. The project, which is the culmination of multi-media artist Smriti Keshari’s four-year film project, is debuting this weekend at BAM (the Brooklyn Academy of Music).
In honor of New York’s celebrated multi-arts center unveiling the multimedia installation tomorrow (Halloween), ShockYa is exclusively premiering the exclusive poster for ‘DIS | INTEGRATION.’ The project will be set up at the BAM sign screen (at the corner of Flatbush Ave. and Lafayette Ave.) and the BAM Strong sign screen (at 651 Fulton St.). The two-hour long film will remain on display until this Wednesday, November 4, the day after Election Day.
‘DIS | INTEGRATION’ marks the end of Keshari’s exhaustive four-year-long pursuit of collecting more than 1,460 headlines that feature Trump. The artist searched through stories every day, and selected one headline for each of the American leader’s presidency.
The symbiotic relationship between the media and Trump’s presidency is chronicled in ‘DIS | INTEGRATION,’ which conveys the tense and powerful nature of news. The work was created by Keshari in collaboration with music producer Marius de Vries (who worked on ‘La La Land’). The installation features an original score by Matthew Herbert, based on a one-minute performance of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner,’ which is stretched and distorted over the length of the film. Herbert’s original score can be accessed via BAM’s official website or a QR code posted at both locations.
“The barrage of headlines have led to a new type of censorship through over-abundance of information and noise,” said Keshari. “When you see these headlines in succession, one after another, it reminds us of the haunting and addictive impact of the newsroom on America’s nervous system.”
The press’ role has been constantly called into question over the past four years, which paved the way for multiple emerging realities. Within this dynamic, all parties, including the president, the media and the consumer, are actively responsible for disparities in truth.