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EXPERIMENT 120

Experiment 120 is an itinerant programme of experimental films for young audiences initiated by the artist and curator Marie-Pierre Bonniol in the spring of 2020. Exploring 120 years of experimental films, Experiment 120 offers perspectives of different types of filmic expressions in historical programs, which also include animation, video art, documentation on artworks and films made by children. The Experiment 120 programmes can be presented to young and less young audiences, from any country and from any language.

Experiment 120 / Los Angeles International Children’s Film Festival (May 2022)

“Beautiful and weird movies, carefully selected, to watch with the children.”

“Brilliantly curated film work for wide-open minds of all ages!”
— Guy Maddin (Filmmaker)

The programmes

24.09-26.11.2023 / The wonders of water, Xcèntric/CCCB, Barcelona, Spain

A programme around water for all ages, with artworks of Hermína Týrlová, Patrick Bokanowski, Elena Duque, Faith Johnson, Al Jarnow, Florence Cha Cayron, Denise Batchelor and Laura Rius Aran.

The selected screenings take us on a journey to the wonders of waters, from magical pearl fish to mesmerizing jellyfish, with distorted lake views, drops of water on images, sky swimmers and collections of seashells. A feast of colours, forms, shapes and states that includes a piece specially created by Laura Rius Aran..

The programme is curated by Marie-Pierre Bonniol on an invitation of Gloria Vilches, with contributions of Gloria Vilches.

More info on the website of CCCB

04.03-28.05.2023 / Music! Xcèntric/CCCB, Barcelona, Spain

A programme around music for all ages, with artworks of Yuri Muraoka, Damien Tran, Walter Duncan & Marie-Pierre Bonniol, Harvard Natural Sciences Lecture Demonstrations, Carlos Vásquez, Jef Scher, Jonathan Hodgson, Six Drummers, Kijek/Adamski.

The selected screenings take us on a journey to explore music in multiple aspects, whether it is geometric representations, technical demonstrations, games on sounds, in playgrounds, drawn animations or improvisations. A program that invites, in turn, to create with shapes and sounds! It includes a specially created piece by the artist Carlos Vasquez Méndez.

The programme is curated by Marie-Pierre Bonniol on an invitation of Gloria Vilches, with contributions of Marion Orel and Gloria Vilches.

More info on the website of CCCB

23.10.2022 / OORtreders, Pelt, Belgium

A programme around water and sound art for all ages, with artworks of Patrick Bokanowski, Pierre Bastien, Elena Duque, République Géniale, Wasser Biennale, Jordyn Stewart, Janine Randerson, Maki Satake, Florence Cha Cayron, Miranda Parkes and Denise Batchelor.

Get ready to travel, for 40 minutes, along the paths of water and sound through pools, boats and glaciers; but also through jellyfish beds, singing rivers and artificial landscapes, with a selection of films that celebrate experimentation in many poetic, sonic and visual aspects.

The programme will be presented by Marie-Pierre Bonniol, the artist and curator behind the programme. The programme has been made in cooperation with Circuit, Collectif Jeune Cinéma, Cinédoc, Dampfzentrale Bern, Studio Walter and Julie Tippex.

More info | Festival page

23.06.2022 / Workshop at Richard-Grundschule, Berlin, Germany

June 23rd 2022, I’ve been presenting my work, some films and directed a workshop on Imaginary films with 4th graders at Richard-Grundschule in Berlin Neukölln, in Germany. On an invitation of Frau Schwarz.

21.06.2022 / Cinemotion Rex, Fribourg, Switzerland

One programme on Music June 21st 2022 at Cinemotion Rex Fribourg. The programme is curated with Marion Orel, for children from 7 years old and their families. With films of The Harvard Natural Sciences Lecture Demonstrations, Etienne Charry, Yuri Muraoka, Damien Tran, Gheith Al-Amine, Jonathan Hodgson, Walter Duncan & Marie-Pierre Bonniol, Sound of Noise and Kijek/Admaski. In collaboration with Collectif Jeune Cinéma, Un je-ne-sais-quoi, Harvard Natural Sciences Lecture Demonstrations, Kostr-Film and the artists. More info

01.05.2022 / Los Angeles International Children’s Film Festival, USA

May 1st, the Experiment 120 programme will present for the first time a short programme on the West coast of the USA with a short selection of films by Walter Duncan & Marie-Pierre Bonniol, Nicole Wegner, Johanna Thompson, Damien Tran and Gloria Vilches for all audiences, on an invitation of the Los Angeles International Children’s Film Festival.

More info | The website of the festival | Tickets (free admission)

19.04.2022 / The Film-Makers’ Cooperative, New York, USA

April 19th 2022 at 4 pm, the Experiment 120 programme will be presented for the first time in the USA with a short selection of films on the theme of Fantastic Gardens, made by Marie-Pierre Bonniol, MM Serra, Marie Menken, Ute Aurand & Bärbel Freund, on an invitation of MM Serra. It will be the premiere USA screening of Babylone (Marie-Pierre Bonniol) and Im Garten (Ute Aurand & Bärbel Freund). Vive le printemps! Limited capacity.

More info | Tickets & info on the website of Film-Maker’s Coop

March 2022 / Border Crossing, Poland

I’ve assembled for Border Crossing, a Children’s Film festival programmed in direction of children refugees in Poland, an experimental film programme of 40 minutes which include films of Nicole Wegner, Johanna Thompson, Kijek/Adamski, Tony Hill, Denise Batchelor, Yuri Muraoka, Damien Tran, Marie Losier and Gloria Vilches, with the support of Light Cone, Collectif Jeune Cinéma, Circuit, Un je-ne-sais-quoi and the artists.

More info

19-20.02.2022 / FAME, La Gaité Lyrique, Paris, France

One programme on Music Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th February for FAME festival at Gaité Lyrique. The programme is curated with Marion Orel, for children from 7 years old and their families. With films of The Harvard Natural Sciences Lecture Demonstrations, Etienne Charry, Yuri Muraoka, Damien Tran, Gheith Al-Amine, Jonathan Hodgson, Walter Duncan & Marie-Pierre Bonniol, Sound of Noise and Kijek/Admaski. In collaboration with Collectif Jeune Cinéma, Un je-ne-sais-quoi, Harvard Natural Sciences Lecture Demonstrations, Kostr-Film and the artists.

More info | The programme on the website of FAME / Gaité Lyrique

27-28.11.2021 / Festival BBmix, Boulogne-Billancourt, France

Two programmes on Music Saturday November 27th and Sunday November 28th for BBmix festival, curated with Marion Orel, for children from 7 years old and their families. With films of The Dead Mauriacs, Norman McLaren, Etienne Charry, Yuri Muraoka, Damien Tran, Oskar Fischinger, Mary Ellen Bute, Gheith Al-Amine, Kijek/Adamski, the Harvard Natural Sciences Lecture Demonstrations, Ishu Patel, Jonathan Hodgson, Sound of Noise and Mirai Mizue

In collaboration with Center for Visual Music Los Angeles, Collectif Jeune Cinéma, Carte Blanche, ONF, Un je-ne-sais-quoi, Harvard Natural Sciences Lecture Demonstrations, Kostr-Film and the artists. Aknowledgements: La Vidéothèque Nomade and Sarah Pialeprat (BAFF / Brussels Art Film Festival).

More info | The programme page on the festival website

12-13.06.2021 / Centre Pompidou Metz, Metz, France

One programme on Portraits Saturday June 12th and Sunday June 13th around the exhibition Arcimboldo Face to Face, with films of Takahiko Iimura, Jodie Mack, Lenka Clayton & James Price, Andrès Baron, Nicole Wegner, Johanna Thompson (world premiere) and Orchestra of Spheres.

In collaboration with Collectif Jeune Cinéma.

More info | The programme on the website of Centre Georges Pompidou Metz

18.04.2021 / Le Lieu Unique, Nantes, France

Two online programmes on Transports Sunday April 18th 2021 at 16h and 18h French time, with films of Lenka Clayton, Peter Stämpfli, Len Lye, Tomonari Nishikawa, Pierre de Vaulchier, Mariette Auvray, Harun Farocki, Shirley Clarke, Chris Gallagher, DA Pennebaker, Tony Hill, Oscar Veyrunes and Robert Breer.

In collaboration with Light Cone, Collectif Jeune Cinéma, Cinédoc-Paris Film Coop, The Film-Makers’ Cooperative and the artists. Programme counselling by Théo Deliyannis, Ute Aurand, Miguel Armas and Mariya Nikiforova.

More info | The programme on the website of Le Lieu Unique

20.03.2021 / Borealis Festival at Cinemateket, Bergen, Norway

One programme on Fantastic gardens on Saturday March 20th 2021, curated with Maria Pia Santillo. With films of Mirai Mizue, Marie Menken, Jodie Mack, Ishu Patel, Marie-Pierre Bonniol and Isabelle Dehay.

In collaboration with Carte Blanche, National Film Board of Canada, The Film-Makers’ Cooperative and the artists

More info | The programme on the website of Borealis

08.03.2021 / Le Lieu unique, Nantes, France

Two experimental films programmes for children aged 7+ on Holidays, curated with Francesca Veneziano. With films of Valérie Mréjen, Joël Bartoloméo, Jonas Mekas, Eric Baudelaire, Vivian Ostrovsky, Érik Bullot, Chris Marker, Guillaume Cailleau, Robert Breer, les frères Lumière, Théo Delidis, Hélène Moinerie and Gabriel Serre.

In collaboration with Galerie Anne-Sarah Bénichou, LUX, Re:Voir, Les Films du Jeudi, L’Agence du court-métrage, Light Cone, Collectif Jeune Cinéma and the Lumière Institute.

More info | The programme on the website of Lieu unique

14.02.2021 / Le Lieu unique, Nantes, France

Two programmes on Fantastic gardens on Sunday February 14th 2021, at 4 and 6 pm on the YouTube channel of Lieu Unique, curated with Maria Pia Santillo. With films of Mirai Mizue, W. Franz for Wasser Biennale, Marie Menken, Jodie Mack, Ishu Patel, Joseph Cornell and Rudolph Burckhardt, Anne-Valérie Gasc, Isabelle Dehay…

In collaboration with Carte Blanche, Wasser Biennale, Light Cone, Dampfzentrale, National Film Board of Canada and The Film-Makers’ Cooperative

More info | The programme on the website of Lieu unique

11.11.2020 / Le Lieu unique, Nantes, France

Two programmes on Nature, machines and objects on Wednesday November 11th 2020. With films of Jill Kennedy, Jean-Pierre Valladeau, Pierre Rovere, Norman McLaren, Denise Batchelor, Maki Satake, Kate Woods, Woody Vasulka, Dominique Willoughby and Sabrina Ratté

In collaboration with Circuit (Mark Williams), Cinédoc Paris films coop (Mélanie Forret) and Cinémathèque de Nouvelle-Aquitaine (Patrick Malefond).

More info | The programme on the website of Lieu Unique

14.10.2020 / Le Lieu unique, Nantes, France

Two programmes on Cinema, games and objects Wednesday October 14th 2020. With films of Marie-Christine Theiler, Patrick Rebeaud & Eric Reynier, Clint Enns, Andreï Tachou, Marie Losier, Jonas Mekas, Walter Duncan & Marie-Pierre Bonniol, Nino Pfeffer, Patrick Bokanowski, Hector Ghikas, Jean Sousa, Yuri Muraoka and Olga Radic.

In collaboration with Collectif Jeune Cinéma (Théo Deliyannis and Judit Naranjo Ribó).

More info | The programme on the website of Lieu unique

20.09.2020 / Festival MV/Interface, Dijon, France

A programme on Music and sound presented Sunday September 20th 2020 at Interface in Dijon, within the frame of Festival MV. With films of Nicolas Renou (music by Albert Marcoeur), Pierre Bastien, Jodie Mack, Norman McLaren, Marie Losier (with April March & Julien Gasq) and Lenka Clayton.

In collaboration with APARR / Docs Ici, Courts là (Aurélia Besnard), Cinédoc Paris films coop (Mélanie Forret & Mathilde Bila) and Collectif Jeune Cinéma (Judit Naranjo Ribó).

More info | Facebook event

19-20.09.2020 / CAPC-Museum of Contemporary art, Bordeaux, France – Cancelled

A resume of the June programme on Language and writing, on September 19th and 20th 2020, for Heritage Days (Journées du Patrimoine). With films of Takahiko Iimura, Doris Chase, Courtney Hoskins, Dae In Chung and Davorin Marc. 

In collaboration with Collectif Jeune Cinéma (Théo Deliyannis and Judit Naranjo Ribó)

More info | The programme on the website of CAPC

02-04.06.2020 / CAPC-Museum of Contemporary art, Bordeaux, France

A programme on Language and writing, from June 2nd to July 4th 2020. With films of Takahiko Iimura, Doris Chase, Courtney Hoskins, Dae In Chung and Davorin Marc. 

In collaboration with Collectif Jeune Cinéma (Théo Deliyannis and Judit Naranjo Ribó)

More info

28.04.2020 / Original YouTube playlist

A YouTube playlist of 22 films covering 120 years of Experimental films history, compiled during the confinement for school pupils and our local youth community.

This playlist has been made in collaboration with my 7 years old son, Walter Duncan.

More info | Press | Playlist


Experiment 120 is open to invitations, collaborations and commissionned work!

Developed since Spring 2020, Experiment 120 is born with the confinement. Coated in screens, education to other images becomes even more important. Experiment 120 was at first a playlist, and is now an itinerant programme. We’re open to invitations, commissionned work and collaborations! also to explore collections.

Contact: Marie-Pierre Bonniol, Studio Walter, Berlin.

Curator profile | ZKM entry

The administration of these programmes is made in cooperation with the French production agencies Julie Tippex and Un-Je ne sais quoi. Initial counselling by Théo Deliyannis / Collectif Jeune Cinéma.

The images credits are in the corresponding programmes pages. Logo painting by Walter Duncan.