Iain Forsyth
& Jane Pollard

RE-ENACTMENT AS ART

FILM

Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard are British artists and BAFTA-nominated filmmakers whose collaborative practice spans film, installation, performance, sound, and television drama. Meeting at Goldsmiths College in the mid-1990s, they pioneered the use of re-enactment within contemporary visual art through meticulously faithful live recreations of iconic performances, including David Bowie's final performance as Ziggy Stardust and The Cramps' 1978 concert at Napa State Mental Institute. Their work explores the mechanics of performance and music culture, leading to collaborations with artists including Nick Cave, Scott Walker, Gil Scott-Heron, Jarvis Cocker, and Warren Ellis. Their debut feature film 20,000 Days on Earth (2014), featuring Nick Cave, won two awards at Sundance and received nominations from BAFTA and the Independent Spirit Awards, earning them the Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director at the British Independent Film Awards. Their practice has been commissioned by institutions including the British Film Institute, BBC Radio, the Institute of Contemporary Arts, and Sydney Opera House, with work collected by the Tate Gallery and the British Government Art Collection. Recent projects include co-curating The Horror Show! exhibition at Somerset House and directing episodes of Neil Gaiman's television adaptations.