Dan Starling in Residence

Description:

While in residence at Western Front, Dan Starling developed The Chorus, a feature-length film and artist book that investigated ideas of democracy through the chorus, a character in Ancient Greek drama of “the people” that has been largely lost from contemporary forms of popular media. The project interrogated the structure of fiction by inserting the tragedian character into a recreation of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005). The video and publication presented George Lucas’s original script annotated with original dialogue by Starling.

Produced in the Grand Luxe Hall, Starling’s film featured twelve actors in the role of the chorus. The cast wore custom bodysuits designed by Starling, and held fluorescent batons that emitted white light. Star Wars Episode III was projected against the back wall and played in its entirety throughout the performance, creating a movie-within-a-movie. 

The accompanying artist book presented the script, alongside essays by Starling, Daniel Adleman, Bopha Chhay, and Allison Collins. 

Starling also hosted a multimedia artist talk on his research and conversation that further contributed to the development of his project.