CINAMNESIA draws links between the twenty-four vertebrae in the human spine and the twenty-four frames per second in 16mm film whilst exploring the effects of film on the nervous system.

A combination of performance and documentary on black and white 16mm film misplace experiences of time and movement. There is an examination of the spine and the materiality of film from both scientific and surrealist perspectives. It examines the process of watching film and the nature of recording, questioning how present an experience it is.

Cinematic illusion is questioned through the portrayal of anaesthesia as an induced experiential state similar to that of choosing to sit in a cinema. Illusion is also referenced by the cave as a primal root of cinema, hand-drawn as if to be a reminder of how histories are recorded through movement, distorted by perceptions. Structurally the film is considered as a backbone holding images being re-recorded by the audience every time it’s played.

Nicola Walkerden, CINAMNESIA, 2012, 16 mm film / digital video, stereo, sound, 5:09 min