Color Mania

Film is a colorful medium and a vibrant art form, and this has been true since the beginning of cinematography at the end of the 19th century. Throughout film history, more than 230 color film processes have been developed, many of which are closely intertwined with photography. Both media have institutionalized numerous techniques such as hand and stencil coloring, and eventually also printing and halftone processes. In addition to this fundamental connection of technical color systems, there are intermedial exchange processes of color attribution and aesthetics observed between film and photography, occurring in both directions.

"Color Mania" not only addresses aspects of the material color in photography and film but also explores the relationship between historical film colors and contemporary photography. Works by contemporary photographers and artists who engage with the technical and cultural theoretical aspects of the material color further highlight these connections. Aesthetic and technical parallels are the focus of thematic clusters that include fashion and identity, abstraction and experimentation, politics, exoticism, and travel.

Following introductory articles on color, technique, and materiality in film and photography, a series of short essays delve into specific aspects of the individual exhibition clusters, along with an interview that addresses the technical and scientific side of researching and restoring/digitizing historical film color systems. An extensive illustration section complements the texts and color systems, furthering the aesthetic experience of the various processes and exhibits in book form.