Modern Angels [film screening]

Modern Angels documented the ‘body art’ sub-cultural practices in Belgium at the turn of the millennium. The work features several participants in a ‘ritualistic’ performance, having scarification performed ‘live’ in front of an invited audience. The work challenged concepts around ethical documentary boundaries and the marginal space between acceptable documentation of ‘hidden’ sub-cultural practice to a wider academic and public audience. Modern Angels helps provide a window into a dated hidden practice which is now commonly accepted and the three main elements of the work; tattooing, body art and body manipulation have become widespread cultural practices. The documentation of these practices during a specific historical period offers potentially a unique insight into the content and form of the work as a 'single filmmaker' documentary approach.