New York City’s Museum of Modern Art announces that from September 7 to 15 it will be presenting “From Doodle to Pixels: Over a Hundred Years of Spanish Animation.” This major retrospective of the little-recognized local creative industry in Spain will comprise eight programs spanning the past century and covering many genres and techniques. From Doodles to Pixels will screen at the Roy and Niuta Titus Theater.
The programs feature historic work from 1908 through the end of the dictatorship, in 1975; commercial animation; Europe’s first animated color feature, Garbancito de la Mancha (1945); and internationally celebrated 21st-century work inspired by personal cinema, music videos, and the graphic novel.
Taking advantage of new scholarship and restoration initiatives organized by the Contemporary Culture Centre of Barcelona and Acción Cultural Española, this series includes classic hand-drawn animation, stop-motion, and innovative digital works, and ranges from cultural and political themes and literary adaptations to adult fare, children’s stories, and advertising.
Among the distinguished artists and studios represented are K-Hito, Francisco Macián, Robert Balser, José Antonio Sistiaga, Isabel Herguera, Javier Mariscal, Mercedes Gaspar, Rodrigo Blaas, Anna Solanas, César Díaz Meléndez, Nicolai Troshinky, Jossie Malis, Laura Ginès, Alberto Vázquez, Estudios Moro, Balet y Blay, and the Headless Studio.
All films are in Spanish with English subtitles, unless otherwise noted. Carolina López, director of Xcèntric cinema at Contemporary Culture Center of Barcelona, and a number of special guest animators will introduce select programs. (Organized by Dave Kehr, Adjunct Curator, Department of Film, MoMA, and Steve Massa, film historian and author.)
The retrospective at MoMA is organized by Ron Magliozzi, Associate Curator, Department of Film. From Doodles to Pixels was originally organized by Contemporary Culture Centre of Barcelona, with Acción Cultural Española and Carolina López.
